Neko
by NineCalaveras
Summary: 2 years after Meteor: A new threat makes itself known and Avalanche is startled out of their crib of security. Yuffie gets the worst of it when she's transformed into something she had only heard of in legends...Not your average fanfic. Please rr.
1. Trouble in the Tundra

**Disclaimer to end all disclaimers: **I do not own Final Fantasy VII or any of its characters.  However the plot and any original characters and things I come up with belong to me.  So back off.

**Chapter re-posted**

A/N:  My third fic.  Another one featuring Yuffie I know, but this was another story idea I had to try out.  If I didn't I would have died of creative starvation!  I hope you guys enjoy this one.  Please be sure to leave a review.  They really help motivate us writers to keep spittin' out chapter's y'know.

--

It was below freezing.  Yuffie rubbed her hands together furiously, feebly attempting to rub some feeling back into them.  Her short breaths came in wisps of smoke before her eyes, and her heart began to race.  

Where was she?

Grumbling she took off the thick glove covering her hand, wincing as the cold nipped at her fingers, and pulled a tattered map out of her pocket.  She unfolded it, frowning down at the parchment.  According to the map she should have made it to Icicle Inn by now.  This didn't make any sense.  Irritated she took out her compass and frowned at.  That way was north?  She had thought she had been going west!  Yuffie whacked the compass repeatedly on her arm, and then stared down at it again.  Now it said she was heading south.

The ninja let out a fierce growl, tossing the compass away.  It seemed it would do her no good here.  Something was causing it to go haywire.  

Yuffie shrugged off her backpack, preparing to set up camp.  The sun was nearing the horizon and soon it would be too cold to put up a tent.  She didn't want to get caught in that situation, so she worked quickly.  There were quite a few moments where Yuffie managed to get tangled in the mess of canvas and poles, and there were quite a few times when she smashed her fingers trying to hammer the tent's pegs into the ground.

Needless to say, she cursed quite a few times as well.

When she finished the sun was hovering dangerously over the horizon and Yuffie watched it descend for a minute before scurrying into her tent.

It was a special tent.  She wasn't stupid enough to use just any old ordinary tent out here.  This tent was infused with magical properties, straight from a materia.  A mid level Fire materia, in its second level of crystallization, was the warmest thing one could use without roasting themselves.

As Yuffie climbed into her sleeping bag, she began to think about how things seemed to have changed since Avalanche's battle against Sephiroth.  Cloud and Tifa were married.  Cid and Shera were engaged and expecting a baby.  Barret and Marlene had moved to Corel, which had improved greatly and increased in size.  Elmyra had moved to Kalm, and though she wasn't part of Avalanche, she was treated just the same.  Reeve, after revealing himself as Cait Sith and nearly getting killed by Barret, moved to Mideel and was helping the villagers make a new and better town.

What had Yuffie done in the past two years?

First, after the spectacle with Holy, she went back to Wutai, the materia of Avalanche on her back.  She had received a grand welcome, and was publicly acknowledged by her father as a brave young woman.  Yuffie remembered how she had beamed like an idiot, happy to be accepted by her father again and hailed by everyone as a hero.  At first it had been fantastic.  She had started to get along with her father, and though things were a bit awkward and every now and then they'd get on each other's nerves, she really had believed things had started getting better.

But then came that horrible turning point.  Her 17th birthday.

Her father had been so proud.  "Now you really are a woman," he had said, "Now it's time you started looking for a husband."

Yuffie had balked at that.  "A husband!?" she had cried, "What am I gonna do looking for a husband?  I'm only 17!"

"You've come of age," the old geezer had said, "Soon you will be the Queen of Wutai, you need a husband to continue the Kisaragi line!"

At this she blew up.  "You want me to get knocked up!?"

And all the bridges they had built were burned down.

She went traveling again after that.  She couldn't stand her father.  In fact she hated him now.  She didn't want to take on the responsibility of Wutai, and she sure as hell didn't want to get married.  How could he actually expect her to rule over a city when she could barely keep herself in check?  It was stupid, the whole thing.  She wouldn't give in to him, and she knew he wouldn't give in to her.  All of it was a matter of pride, and sometimes that was all either of them really had.

Yuffie didn't visit any of her friends on her travels.  She didn't want them to see her in such a situation.  She didn't think she could bear having their perfect lives disrupted by her awkward teenage problems.

With a sigh the young girl closed her eyes, and slowly she drifted off to sleep.  Yuffie dreamt dreaming dreams that she would forget early next morning.

****

Eyes fluttering open, Yuffie sat up with a yawn, rubbing at her eyes.  The sunlight filtered in through the tent, and with a sigh, the ninja crawled out into the cold morning air to greet it properly.

Then she remembered she wasn't wearing any of her warmers, and gave a short cry as the cold air all but bit her skin.  Arms wrapped tightly around her arms, the girl turned, ready to scurry back into the tent.

And that's when she saw it.  

It was a black fuzzy thing sticking out of the snow.  It grabbed at her attention, because it was the only thing besides her and her tent that wasn't white.

Yuffie frowned.  "What the-" As she neared the thing, she gave a small gasp when realization dawned on her.  

The thing was an animal, nearly completely buried in snow.  

Grimacing, the ninja started to dig the animal out.  "Ugh…grossness," she muttered, hands and fingers numbing as she dug.  Her eyes widened slightly as she realized just what the animal was…

A black cat.  

She leaned in closer as she dusted the snow away from it, and as she did so, she could hear it's faint breathing.  Without even stopping to think about it, Yuffie scooped the animal up into her arms, hugging it close to her body and shivering at how cold it was.  Still cradling the cat to her chest, Yuffie retreated into her tent, where she remained for the rest of the day, trying to warm the cat up as best she could.

*****

Yuffie spent the night at the same spot, feeling it best to try and stay where she was, at least for the moment, seeing as how she was lost and with a sick cat in her care.  She cradled it fiercely to her chest, happy to see another living thing out here in the tundra, and happy to have rescued it in time before it could die.  It was weak, too weak to move, but it was breathing easier and its eyes had opened partially, which Yuffie took as a good sign.

Scratching it behind it's ear, Yuffie murmured, smiling softly, "I bet you don't have anything to worry about now do you? …Still, what were you doing out here, cat?"

The cat didn't respond.

Yuffie stayed one more night.

****

The next day, she gave the cat water and some canned tuna she had stashed away at the bottom of her pack, and the cat ate gratefully.  Yuffie laughed slightly at the eagerness of the cat, which had gained a lot of strength in the short time with her.  

"You're a pig, now aren't you?" she teased, petting it.  The cat purred in response, it's blue eyes locking with her brown ones.  Yuffie smiled down at it.  "Well, cat, looks like you're strong enough now.  We'll leave first thing tomorrow for Icicle Inn!"

****

  
It was horrible.  The next morning had started innocently enough.  But as the morning progressed, the wind had increased in speed and strength, and was now blowing with a vengeance, seemingly determined to blow Yuffie right over.  The cat was held tightly against her chest, and the girl was slightly unnerved at how still it was.  Was it dead or something?  Or was all the wind and snow just scaring it stiff?

Yuffie grit her teeth as she leaned against the wind, her face and ears numb with cold.  It was foolish to spend two extra days resting.  Her provisions were low, and now she was caught up in this blizzard.  For a moment, a sudden wave of fear washed over the girl as a particularly strong gust blew her back a few steps.  Would she die out here?  Where the world would never find her again?  Would she be just another poor sap who had succumbed to the horrible storms of the northern continent, forgotten by all, and lost to the world?

Yuffie doubled her efforts as she pushed onward, fighting her hardest against the winds.  

No.  She wouldn't die here.  Like hell she would.

But her body was tired and it was steadily growing colder.  Yuffie began to lose feeling in her fingers, her legs turned to lead weights.  As the seconds ticked by, Yuffie began to feel like she was floating along.  As far as she was concerned, her legs and feet weren't there anymore.  The ninja stumbled in the snow, but she fought to keep her balance.  If she fell, then it would be the end of her…

Her foot dragged, and she toppled onto her side, still clutching the cat to her chest.

It was dark.  The falling snow blocked the sun out.  The wind howled past her ears hauntingly.  Yuffie stared listlessly ahead of her as the snow steadily began to cover her body.  With numb fingers, the girl slowly unzipped her jacket, enough for her to look inside.

The cat stared up at her with half-closed eyes.  So it was almost dead then.

Yuffie hugged the creature more tightly, tears welling up in her eyes.  "I'm sorry…" she rasped, her throat going dry and seizing up.  She stared into the cat's eyes and smiled shakily.  "Y'know, it's not so bad…this dying thing…" And her eyes slowly drifted shut.

The cat gazed at her face for a long time, before snuggling closer to her chest.

"My thanks to you…my friend." It whispered quietly, before fading away into a cluster of blue lights.  The lights entered Yuffie's chest, and the girl began to glow with a faint light.

The storm continued to rage on.

****

"Give me some jerky Taerk."

"No.  Get your own damn jerky."

"What!?  After I helped you with your supplies?"

"You didn't help me with anything."

"I did to!"

"Packing my bag chalk full of peanuts isn't my idea of helping, Beatrix."

"Jeesh, you're such a jerk!  …Hey.  Do you smell that?"

"…Yeah I do.  What do you think it is?"

"…Smells like a…cat.  A big one too.  Kind of funny though, I've never smelled a cat like that before…"

A pale girl with fiery red hair stopped at the top of a small hill, her nose raised in the air.  She sniffed tentatively, like a bloodhound sniffing out its quarry.  A large muscular man, considerably taller than the girl, stopped at her side, doing the same.  His hair was a dirty blond, and cropped short.  Blue eyes narrowed, the man kneeled down in the snow, sniffing the ground.  "It's a bit faint, but something did come through here, not too long ago I might add…"

The redhead took a few steps forward and crouched down as well, sniffing the ground.  "The scent's gone, Taerk." She said slowly.

Taerk scowled, "It…must have been caught in the storm from yesterday.  That's the only reason I can come up with." He stood.  "Come on, we have to go."

The girl, Beatrix, stared back at him with wide eyes.  "Taerk…This isn't just an ordinary cat.  This thing is HUGE and…" she faltered, wrinkling her nose.  Taerk glared at her in annoyance.

"What is it?" he asked grumpily.  Why so much fuss over a simple animal?

Beatrix shook her head, "The cat scent is mixed with another scent…a human one."

Taerk's eyes widened a little as the implications of that finally hit home, "…A hybrid?" he asked quietly.  Beatrix shrugged.

Gritting his teeth, the man stared around.  After a moment he pointed at the spot where she last sniffed.  "You say the scent ends about there?" she nodded grimly.  Taerk sighed and kneeled down next to her.

"Help me dig." He ordered shortly.  

Beatrix didn't argue.

A/N:  Feedback would be greatly appreciated.  Is this a good start?

Special thanks to Alan Bates for helping me out in this chapter.  Hopefully I corrected what was wrong with it.


	2. Reality Shattered

A/N:  Here's the second chapter.

The first thing Yuffie Kisaragi registered when consciousness climbed back into the drivers seat of her mind was the smell of pine, ash, and a smell she couldn't quite place.

With a groan she shifted, pulling her blanket more tightly around her.  Her eyes snapped open as she gripped the blanket in her hands.  And here was where she had her first coherent thought.

"Where am I?" she breathed, eyes wide.

She was in a bed, in what looked to be some kind of log cabin.  A fireplace across from the end of her bed dimly lighted the room.    She tried to sit up, and her body shook with the effort.  Had she been rescued from the storm?  Was she in Icicle Inn?  And what was that fuzzy thing brushing against her legs?

"You shouldn't do that." A deep voice warned quietly.

Yuffie felt something on her head twist around at the sound, and she jumped slightly in surprise at the feeling.  "What the-" she quickly reached up a hand, her hand grabbing onto a cold fuzzy something.  What alarmed her though was the fact that she could feel her hand.  She could feel as her hand traced up the fuzzy things edge, to the tip, and she could feel as the fuzzy thing flicked at the feeling.  Yuffie's throat went dry, the other person, whoever they were, were forgotten in the face of this new dilemma.

With trembling hands, the girl felt the sides of her head.  She screamed.

Her ears.  They weren't on the sides of her head anymore.  They were on top of her head, and they were anything but human.

Yuffie grew hysterical.  "Ohmigod!  Ohmigod!  My ears!  My ears, what happened to them!?" she struggled to get out of the bed she was in.  Someone pushed her back down, and she started to flail, though she was getting more and more tired doing so.

Narrowed black eyes bored into hers and Yuffie panicked.  "What did you do to me!?" she screamed, tears flowing from the corners of her eyes.  The blankets had long since been kicked off in all the commotion, and Yuffie glanced down for a split second.

It was all she needed.

"A tail!" she screeched.  "You gave me some goddamn tail!?" her anguished fear gave way to anger.  Furious anger.

"You turned me into a freak!" she screamed, her face turning red.  She gripped the arms holding her down with a death grip, her nails…her _claws_ cutting into the skin.  "You made me a monster you fucking bastard!  I'll fucking kill you!!"

There was a bang, and a shaft of white light flashed onto the walls as the door to the room flew open.  Yuffie could hear several people coming into the room, some of them shouting.  But before any of them could do something, the man pinning her down punched her in the side of the head, hard.

Yuffie blacked out.

****

Pain.

It was searing through her head like a knife, and Yuffie let out a loud groan as she tried to move.  She felt the ropes restraining her in her chair.

Eyes slowly fluttering open, Yuffie stared groggily around the room, smells invading her senses like little battering rams, making her head hurt worse than before.  That smell from before, the smell she couldn't place, was thick in the air, mixed with the fainter smells of pine, ash, and alcohol.  Her eyes gradually came into focus, and she made out five figures.  One, a dark figure, was sitting in the shadowed corner of the room, dark hair shading his face.  Two figures stood at the doors, one large with blonde hair, and another, shorter with red hair.  One figure sat in another corner, arms wrapped around his knees as he rocked slightly back and forth.  The figure closest to her, also had red hair, but was distinctly more feminine than the others, leaving Yuffie to believe it was a girl.

Yuffie's tail wriggled in anxiety, and it was this reminder of her current state of physical being that once again got her riled up.

"Kisamas…" she breathed hoarsely, her voice weak from the screaming she had done before.  "What do you want from me?  What good am I to you?"

A cold, despondent voice sounded behind her, causing the girl to jump.  There was a sixth person?

"You're a well of information.  And we're determined to get every last drop out of you."

Yuffie twisted around, her eyes narrowing, "Information?  What are you talking about you quack?  All I know is that you're a bunch of sick sadistic freaks who like to change innocent girls into cats!"

The dark silhouette of a man towered over her from behind, a warm glow outlining his body from the fireplace.  Yuffie began to second-guess her audacity.

"…You know nothing of the swarms surrounding the Northern Crater then?" he asked slowly.

Yuffie blinked, "Swarms?  What swarms?"

"The demon swarms.  They've been showing up all over that place lately."  It was the girl that spoke this time, Yuffie turned around again to glare at her properly.  "I don't know what you're talking about!" she snapped.

One of the men, the large one, growled.  "She's lying."

"Quiet." The man behind snapped quietly.  He stepped out from behind Yuffie, coming around into her line of vision.  The glow from the fire was weaker now from before, but there was still enough light for Yuffie to see him clearly.

He had long silver hair that descended around his shoulders and piercing golden eyes.  Yuffie gulped at the sight of them, and instead diverted her attention to the necklace tied around his neck, a shark tooth tied onto it.

He spoke softly, "What were you doing so far away from Icicle Inn, if I may ask?"

Yuffie grit her teeth defiantly, "I don't have to answer you." Without even thinking she began to lash her tail in anger.  She hated being in such a helpless position.

The man narrowed his eyes at her, "You will tell me, or you won't leave this room."

Yuffie sat there, her teeth bared, and her tail lashing violently.  She shifted, trying in vain to wriggle free of the restraints on her wrists and feet.  She knew it wouldn't have mattered even if she did get free.  It was six to one.  Yuffie wasn't stupid.

She glared at each and every one of her captors with as much loathing as she could muster, and without warning, a low hiss began to sound from deep within her throat.  She choked it back in surprise, blinking rapidly.  Yuffie looked to the ground immediately, suddenly feeling ashamed.  Tears welling up in her eyes she whispered harshly, "Why did you do this to me?"

A heavy silence fell upon them all, and for a moment no one dared to speak.  It was becoming more and more clear to them that this girl wasn't who they thought she was, and the weight of their mistake began to press on them insistently.

The man with the yellow eyes crossed his arms stubbornly.  "Answer the question and we'll let you go:  What were you doing so far out in the middle of nowhere?"

The red head girl began to protest but the man's eyes silenced her.  "Well?" he prompted, raising an eyebrow.

Yuffie didn't answer for what seemed like ages.  Then she spoke, softly, and with a broken spirit.  She didn't lift her eyes from the ground, "I was lost."

The man said nothing, and she continued in a low voice, "I was lost and I tried using my compass but for some reason it wouldn't work." She sniffed and when she spoke again her voice cracked, "I found a cat out in the snow, it was almost dead.  So I nursed it back to health.  I stayed there, where I found it, for two nights." Yuffie lifted her head slightly, "When we went out the next morning, we were hit by a blizzard, and I fell and didn't get up…" she looked at the man with narrowed eyes, "Then I woke up here."

He didn't say anything for a long time.  Yuffie's story seemed to be all they needed, for what, however, she wasn't sure, but she knew she wouldn't like it.  The golden-eyed man turned and walked back toward the fireplace, his boots clopping loudly on the wooden floor.  "Beatrix, Taerk, explain to our feline friend how you came to find her."

The redhead girl bit her lip and glanced back at the large blonde man near the door.  He looked back at her with an unreadable expression.  The redhead sighed and kneeled down next to Yuffie, who flinched away from her.

"We…were on our way back home when I caught your scent.  It was…faint, because of all the snow, but it was still there.  It was something I had never smelled before, and we almost passed you over when I picked out the human scent." She glared behind her at the large blonde man, who Yuffie surmised was the one named Taerk.

Yuffie chose this moment to ask a question she could find no answer for, "How could you smell me?"

"Because we're lycans." Said the redheaded man next to the door.  Yuffie jumped at his voice.  It was the first time he had spoken throughout all of this.

Yuffie frowned, "What?  What's…what's a lycan?" she grew nervous.

"Werewolves." Said the dark man in the corner.  Yuffie's eyes snapped in his direction, widening in surprise.  That smell she couldn't recognize.  Now she knew what it was…

It was the smell of wolves.

With a sigh the redhead, Beatrix, turned back to her, "Anyways…We dug until we found you under at least a foot and a half of snow.  We pulled you out, and that was when we finally could smell the aura coming off you…at first we thought we should just leave you there.  But we checked for a pulse and saw that you were still alive, that's when we brought you here.  You were the only thing we found.  We saw no cat."

Taerk finally spoke up, a solemn expression on his face, "You smelled like a cat demon, but not a full-blood, because you still smelled like a human.  On our way here we found our compasses didn't work if you were too near.  You aren't just a cat demon," Yuffie glared at him resentfully, "You're a lightning cat demon."

Another thick silence fell upon them.  Yuffie stared down at the ground, shaken from all of this news.  If she had passed out with the cat with her, then was unearthed from the snow as some kind of cat-demon, then that meant… "The cat-"

"Was a demon in its lesser form." Beatrix finished.

Yuffie continued to stare down at the ground, the color draining from her face.  "Ohmigod…" she breathed, squeezing her eyes shut, "I'm a hanyou!"

A large hand clasped her shoulder.  Yuffie turned her head away, shaking.

"I'm afraid you rescued a demon who had somehow lost its brethren.  You nursed him back to health as best you could, sacrificing for him though he looked like nothing more than a cat, and in return, he gave what was left of his life energy to you, who was also dying.  It's the only reason you survived the blizzard, and with no frost bite to boot."

Yuffie spat in disgust, "Lucky me."

The hand gripped her shoulder more tightly, "To a demon, there's nothing a human values more than life.  What are the one-thing demons hear before they kill a human being?  Them begging for mercy.  Not to be killed.  To be given a chance to _live_.  In his eyes, not only did he make you stronger, he gave you a second chance at life.  For a demon, that is the greatest gift they can give a human."

"I don't want it…" Yuffie whispered in anguish, "What good is any of it if I can never show my face in human society again?"

No one had anything to say to that.  So no one tried.  

One by one they left the room, until it was only Yuffie and the golden-eyed man left.

He cut her loose from her restraints.  She didn't look up from the floor, only rubbed her wrists gingerly.  He whispered in a low voice, barely audible.  But thanks to Yuffie's new hearing, she caught every word.  Her ears twitched in the man's direction as he turned to leave the room, boots clopping on the floor.

"You're welcome to stay here in this room as long as you like.  Beatrix can lend you some clothes to wear.  Just don't expect any regular meals.  We're busy people."

He closed the door behind him.

Yuffie stayed like that for the longest time, the light from the fire so dim now it was barely lighting the room.  A bitter silence was in the air, screaming at her tauntingly, tearing at the frayed ends of her sanity.

She was coming apart.

The ninja curled into a tight ball on her chair and wept silently, her tail hanging limply over the edge of her seat.

A/N: Kisamas = bastards in Japanese.  And if you've ever watched Inuyasha, a hanyou is a halfbreed, half human, half demon.

Like my other story, 'Of Shadows and Nightmares', I'm going to try and keep the chapters short.  That way I can update more often, and keep the story going at a steady pace.  

Until the next chapter then.  In the meantime please review!


	3. Making Acquaintances and Making Choices

Yuffie felt empty.

The room was dark, the fire having died a while ago.  Outside she could hear the voices of those people…

But she paid no attention to what they were saying.

She was still in the wooden chair she had been tied to, sitting rigid, the tears dried and gone, no longer flowing.  She stared ahead at the wall.  No.  She stared through it.  She was searching for answers in space.  She was screaming out for the gods, to Leviathan and Da-Chao for guidance.

Why did this happen to her?

Was she dreaming?

Was this real?

How could she change back?

But the answer came, not from them, but her.  The bitter truth was…

…She couldn't change back.  This was real.  She wasn't dreaming.  And simply put, she had been at the wrong place at the right time.

She knew this, all of this, deep down in her soul.  She was stuck this way.

And that truth threatened her very being.

She couldn't live without people.  She couldn't hide her face in fear and shame…It would kill her.

Yuffie Kisaragi wasn't meant to live in solitude.

For the longest time she contemplated what she was going to do.  Would she hide?  Would she beg for acceptance from her former peers?  Or…would she commit suicide?

It all made her sick to her stomach.

Yuffie's tail curled around her legs, and for a moment she did nothing.

Then in a sudden burst of rage, she grabbed the cursed tail and started to yank hard on it, as if trying her hardest to rip it off.  It hurt a lot, and her ears fell flat against her head.

Yuffie let out a strangled cry of fury and began clawing at those to, standing up so fast from her seat that she knocked the chair over with a clatter.

It was the first time Yuffie had ever really lost it. The fiery emotions surged through her like a wave of poison, and soon all rational thought left her.  She didn't want the ears, the tail, the claws, or the power.  She wanted to be normal.  She wanted to be human.  Full human.

There was a bang as the door to the room flew open, and a split second later a pair of strong arms grabbed Yuffie, pulling her to the ground roughly.  She saw a flash of red hair, and two dark figures hovering over her.  She continued to thrash and yell wildly.

"Stop it!"

At the sound of the voice, Yuffie stopped all together.  Her ears hurt, her face was scratched, her tail was sore…When he was sure Yuffie had stopped for good, the man holding her down sat back, watching her warily.  It was the red haired man from before.

Beatrix was with him, kneeling down next to Yuffie with a look of concern and confusion.  Yuffie's lip trembled at the sight of them, and she rolled away, curling into a ball, her body racking with dry sobs.

Beatrix sighed and stroked Yuffie's hair a few times before she stood. "Julius stay with her," she said as she went to the door, "I'm going to get some clothes for her."

Yuffie tensed as the girl's footsteps faded away.  She didn't want to be alone with this man; she wanted the girl to stay here.

"So I guess you weren't lying then…about being human." The man said quietly.  Yuffie would have been insulted, but he sounded unsure of himself.

She uncurled slightly her ears twitching.  The man continued, slightly more confident, "I'm sorry about what happened to you, but Meridian, the silver haired guy from before, told us you'd be staying here for a while…that true?"

Yuffie didn't answer right away, but when she did, her voice rasped and she sounded bitter.  "I don't have anywhere else to go, now do I?"

At this the man faltered.  Yuffie heard him sigh and scratch his head, and she turned slightly to look at him.

He was handsome, with fair red hair that fell into his emerald eyes and freckles dabbled on his nose.  He had a lot of boyish charm, but he looked like something else…

He looked like a storybook hero.

Yuffie sat up, turning to him completely.

"You know, we used to fight against Shinra," he said quietly, looking up at nothing.  It was an odd thing to say, but it was a good way of earning a person's trust and attention.

It was grabbing Yuffie's at any rate.  "You fought against Shinra?" she asked sounding surprised.

The man nodded, "Yeah.  Avalanche wasn't the only ones out there doing something y'know." Yuffie blushed.  The man continued, "We were an anti-Shinra group just like them, only we didn't dare attack the heart of the monster.  It was too risky for us.  Especially since we were viewed as potential specimens by Hojo's science department."

Yuffie frowned, "So, what'd you do?"

"We tried to halt any attempt they made outside Midgar to expand and make money.  But we were a small group with everything to lose and little resources.  We only succeeded part of the time and failed most of the time."

Yuffie smiled dryly, "'Least you guys were doing something, anyone else in your position would have run away with their tail in between their legs."

Julius chuckled at the feeble joke, and Yuffie's smile brightened.

Beatrix came bustling into the room in cute disarray, a large messy pile of clothes in her arms.  "I didn't know what would fit you, so I brought as much as I could!" She was out of breath, and a bit flushed in the cheeks.  With a flop she dumped all the clothes she was carrying.

Julius raised an eyebrow, "Beatrix I don't think that was necessary…they're all the same sizes anyways."

"Nonsense!" she cried snatching up a shirt.  She held it up.  "What if she doesn't like some of them?  I have to give her options!"

Julius snorted, rolling his eyes as he stood, "Yes, of course." He muttered sarcastically.

"I like that shirt!" Yuffie said quickly, before Beatrix could shoot back a reply.

The girl smiled appreciatively and tossed her the shirt, "Here ya go.  Let me see what pants you could sleep in."

Yuffie held the shirt up, raising an eyebrow.

It was a black t-shirt that read, "Great time last night…whoever that guy was."

A shadow of a smirk played across her lips and she folded the shirt in her lap, watching with interest as Beatrix sorted through the clothes.

She was a bit shorter than Yuffie, with layered red hair that flipped out and bounced with each move she made.  Her face was heart shaped and her eyes were wide and innocent.  Yuffie sensed the girl was younger than herself, which she took comfort in.

She was still a bit disbelieving about their being 'werewolves' however.  They looked like regular human beings to her.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Julius yawned loudly.  After a good stretch, he sighed and nodded to Yuffie, "Well I'll leave you two girls to do your business." He nodded to Beatrix on his way to the door, "G'night."

But halfway out, he stopped.  He turned to Yuffie, a frown on his face and his arms crossing over his chest.  "Y'know, with all this commotion and drama we all forgot one thing…"

Beatrix looked up at him distractedly, "What's that?"

He continued with his eyes still trained on Yuffie, "We forgot to ask this girl her name."

Beatrix stopped mid-bend, her eyes widening a fraction.  "Oh wow, you're right…"

Slowly she straightened, placing her hands on her hips.  "So…what's your name?" she asked Yuffie.  Julius joined Beatrix at her side, and they both looked down at Yuffie, who was feeling particularly small right now, since she was still sitting on the floor.  "Um…" she rubbed the back of her neck, and her tail flipped and flopped idly behind her.  "My name's…Yuffie." She paused, wincing a little as she said her own name.  "As in…Yuffie Kisaragi."

She blushed as Julius gave a low whistle. "Whoa…"

Beatrix kneeled down next to the ninja, crimson eyes shining with excitement, "You mean you're Yuffie!?  THE Yuffie??  As in the one from Avalanche!?"

Yuffie, at any other time, would have soaked in all the attention and admiration like a sponge.  Now however, she was vulnerable.  For the first time since Meteor, Yuffie wished with all her heart that she were just some normal, plain, boring girl.

Julius kneeled down to, and was examining Yuffie closely, his emerald eyes piercing.  She squirmed in discomfort.

The man rubbed his chin, "…You do look a lot like her.  Unless you were some crazed fan who went and got plastic surgery that is."

Beatrix hit him in the shoulder.  "Julius!" she cried angrily.  "How rude!"

Yuffie froze as the words hit her.  'Look like her?'

"…Can I see a mirror please?" Yuffie asked quietly.  Beatrix gave her an alarmed look, and Julius looked remorseful.

After a moment, the young girl answered, "Yeah.  Follow me…"

She stood somewhat jerkily, and Yuffie followed suit, still feeling tired and a bit sore.  Together they walked out of the room, Julius in tow.

Outside of the room, Yuffie caught a glimpse of the living room, which was furnished by a couple of worn down recliners and a couch.  The kitchen was right next to the living room, separated only by a simple counter and door.  They passed it all and entered the hall.  Here there was a flight of stairs leading up into the second floor, where Yuffie guessed was where the others slept.  Beneath the stairs was a door leading down into the basement.

A few steps further down the hall, opposite the stairs was another door.  Beatrix gestured toward it, biting her lip.

Yuffie stared at it as if it were the door to hell.  Did she really want to do this?

With a trembling hand she opened the door and stepped inside.  It was dark.  She could feel the sink on her right…above it would be the mirror…all she had to do was turn a bit and flick on the light switch.

She did so slowly.

The light came on with a blink and Yuffie jumped at what she saw.  Her reflection.

Wide, lightning blue cat eyes stared back at her in alarm, narrowed slits widening to adjust to the light.  Black strands of hair contrasted sharply with her pale complexion as they fell around her face.  Large pointy black cat ears stood tall on her head, stiff and alert.  A sob escaped her lips as she reached a clawed hand up to her nose, which was smaller now and fairly pink.  Poking down from under her upper lip were her canines, sharp and pointy.

Yuffie gripped the edges of the sink, her knuckles showing white through her skin.  She trembled, her head bowed.  She couldn't look at herself anymore.

A hand touched her shoulder lightly.  It was Beatrix.  "Yuffie…?" she coaxed.

Yuffie responded, her voice hollow.  "Yuffie's not here…"

--

Taerk came lumbering down the stairs, yawning and scratching the scar on his cheek.  Sleep hadn't come easy to him last night, the whole issue with the cat-girl still fresh in his mind.  Would she kill them in their sleep, he had thought.  Or was she really just some poor human caught up in the terrible winds of circumstance?

Taerk shrugged.  He woke up, all right.  Either the girl was telling the truth, or she was a demon with integrity.

As he came into the living room, he stopped in surprise.

Julius and Beatrix were still down here, wearing the same clothes from before; the girl was sleeping on the couch, her arm dangling over the edge, while the young man dozed in the recliner, head laid back and mouth agape.

Taerk frowned and looked to the guest room, which was closed.  What had happened last night?

He went and shook Julius's shoulder.  "Julius wake up." He murmured quietly, trying not to wake Beatrix.  The red head groaned and sat up stretching.

"Whazzat?" he mumbled sleepily, before yawning.

Taerk crossed his arms, and eyebrow raised he asked, "What happened?  Why are you two still down here?  Were you keeping an eye on the girl or something?"

Julius rubbed the back of his neck, "The cat-girl needed comforting."

Taerk stared, "You're joking…right?"

Julius frowned at him, "Why would I be?"

The larger man sighed, rubbing at his face.  "I knew you had a soft spot for cats, but this is ridiculous…"

Julius scowled, "What?  What are you talking about?  Look," he waved toward the guest room impatiently, "The girl was distraught, all right?  Real shaken up!  Me and Beatrix were up comforting her and keeping her company."

"But this isn't a stray cat off the street, Julius!  We're dealing with a demon here!  Not a fluffy animal to pet and love."

"Taerk, there's something you should know about this 'demon', she's-!"

"Yuffie Kisaragi."

The men jumped at the sound of the new voice and turned to see Yuffie standing quietly between the half open door of her room.  She came out of her spot and approached Taerk, hand extended.  "Nice to meet ya."  Taerk paused, and then grasped her hand firmly.

"I'm Taerk." He said shortly as he let go.  He had a skeptical look on his face.

Yuffie soured.  "If you want, get a picture and compare.  I don't really care if you believe me or not."

Taerk held up his hands, "I said nothing…nothing at all…" Silently Julius rolled his eyes to the ceiling.

There was a groan and the three of them turned in time to see Beatrix roll off the couch and hit the floor with a thud.  She shot up in surprise, eyes wide and bewildered.  Blinking, she slowly turned to look at them all, then glared irately.  "What're you all starin' at?" she grumbled, eyes squinted with sleep.

Julius chuckled and stood, "Still just a pup…" he went into the kitchen.

Beatrix stuck her tongue out at his retreating back as she pulled herself back onto the couch.  Taerk sat heavily in the recliner Julius had just left, and yawned hugely.  Yuffie, unsure of what to do with herself, sat down next to Beatrix on the couch.

No one said anything, the only sounds that could be heard was Julius bustling around in the kitchen.  Taerk sat staring into space while Beatrix proceeded to rub the sleep out of her eyes.  Yuffie was holding her tail, gripping it a little tightly.  The others would wake up soon.  What would she do?

Her thoughts were interrupted when Beatrix asked her, and rather abruptly to, "What are you going to do?" she looked at Yuffie and smiled lightly.  Taerk's blue eyes flickered toward her as well, and the ninja shifted in discomfort.

"I dunno…" Yuffie mumbled, cheeks flaring a little, "I don't really have anywhere I can go where people will take me in…I mean look at me!" she gestured toward herself, "_I_ wouldn't even take me in!"

Beatrix bit her lip and looked to the carpet.  Taerk sat back and continued staring into space.  Both seemed to be thinking…and it made Yuffie nervous to think what exactly their thoughts were about.

There was a creak from the stairs as someone came down them.  She tensed as she heard them come nearer.  Was that the silver haired man, Meridian?  Or was it the dark haired man from before?

The cat-girl turned her head to see whom it was, and was surprised to see it was neither of the men she feared it would be.  It was the nervous looking man, the one who had hugged his knees and rocked back and forth in the corner the night before, not saying a word.

He was a pale looking man, with wide black eyes and a gaunt face, he had bushy eyebrows and short messy black hair that looked like it had never seen a comb in it's life.  He was horrible skinny, a bit short, and had large (almost ridiculously large) ears.  He also looked like he hadn't gotten a decent sleep in years. 

Beatrix and Taerk glanced at him and muttered distractedly, "Morning, Ern."

Yuffie raised an eyebrow.  "Ern?"

The man jumped at the sound of her voice, looking at her in alarm.  She jumped to, confused by his behavior.  He was looking at her as if she were some hideous monster…

She looked down at herself and frowned.  Well he wasn't too far off on that.

"M-Morning!" he stammered nervously.  He began to creep towards the kitchen, his wide fearful eyes trained on Yuffie, as if he were afraid she'd jump on him any second.

Yuffie was distinctly reminded of a mouse.

Beatrix looked up at her, then back at Ern.  She sighed and waved him away, "Relax, Ern…she isn't going to hurt you." She turned and muttered to Yuffie on the side, "That's Ern.  In case you haven't noticed he's a shameless coward.  He's also a bit of a nut case.  Has a stuttering problem and mutters to himself a lot.  Just ignore him, he'll get used to you eventually."

Yuffie raised an eyebrow and glanced back at Ern, who slipped into the kitchen and was now ducking behind the counter.  Julius glared down at him, "What the hell are you doing?" he snapped in annoyance.  He kicked Ern lightly, the mousy man giving out a small cry as he scuttled back out into the living room.  Julius continued to make his breakfast muttering irately, "Stupid, bloody, good-for-nothing canker keeps getting in my way…"

Yuffie had to stifle a laugh.

Beatrix grinned, her eyes suddenly shining brightly as she sat up.  "I've got it!" she cried happily.

Taerk rolled his eyes, "What now?" he muttered.

Ern could be heard scuffling along behind the couch.  Yuffie made a point to a ignore him.  "What is it?" she asked Beatrix.  The redhead girl looked to her excitedly, "Join our pack!"

There was a crash in the kitchen followed by a curse.  Ern shot up from behind the couch, his eyes now wide with panic.  "What!?" he shrieked.  Taerk glared at Beatrix, "Have you gone insane?" he growled.  Julius came shuffling out of the kitchen, his face a deep shade of red, "Um…Beatrix-"

"What!" she cried, holding up her hands, "What's so wrong with Yuffie joining?"

Ern started up, stammering horribly, "She can't join!  She's a demon!  A CAT demon!  What if she—wait did you say Yuffie?"

Yuffie sighed, "Yuffie Kisaragi, former member of Avalanche, at your service." She droned.

Ern stared at her, before sinking out of view again.  He started to mutter to himself rapidly. 

Taerk shook his head vehemently, "Meridian won't go for it Beatrix, you know that."

Beatrix glared daggers at him, "You mean he won't or you won't?"

The man scowled, "Both!"

Julius cut into the argument, "Look, Beatrix, by definition, Yuffie can't join us.  She isn't a lycan."

Beatrix frowned disappointedly, "Aw, geez…you're right…" but she looked up again, a grin on her face, "But she can still join our family!"

Julius gave Taerk a sidelong glance, "Uh…Beatrix, that's the same-"

"Oh come on!" she glared between the two men, "A family isn't the same as a pack!  I looked up the word family and it means a lot of things, one of them being the members of one household!  If she lives here, she's family!"

Yuffie in the meantime had remained quiet, stunned by the simple notion of making this place her home and considering these people her new family.  It was really farfetched.  But it seemed everything would be farfetched from now on.

There was a creak from the stairs.  Yuffie stiffened.  Ern, Taerk, and Julius did the same.  Beatrix went on without noticing.

"She could go hunting with us!  I'll teach her myself if I have to!"

"What's this all about?"

Beatrix stopped, her mouth hanging open and her eyes widening in horror.  "Um…" The girl turned slowly and was greeted by the sight of the silver haired man.  "Morning Meridian…" she murmured looking down at her lap.  The man continued, his voice deathly even.  "What's this talk about hunting and teaching?"

Beatrix didn't answer right away.  Meridian folded his arms across his chest, locks of hair spilling over his shoulder like water,  "Beatrix?"

"I…was wondering if Yuffie…" Meridian's eyes snapped towards the ninja, and the cat-girl flinched beneath his gaze.  Beatrix continued, "…Could join us.  Be part of our family and stuff…she could live here with us and help us fight the demons…"

Meridian raised an eyebrow.  "And how do you think this would work?"

Beatrix snapped into life again, talking a mile a minute.  Yuffie blinked at the girl, her eyes widening a little.  Was she serious?

"I could teach her to hunt and transform and stuff, and I wouldn't be the only girl anymore!  She could detect demon auras faster than any of us and she would be really good at stealth!"

"S-stealth?" Yuffie squeaked.  Beatrix continued, undeterred. "I mean she's a ninja and now that's she's a cat demon she's faster and stronger and more flexible n' stuff, plus, think about it, we can use all the help we can get on this Meridian!  _Please!_  She used to be in Avalanche, that has to count for _something_!!"

There was ringing silence after the girl finished, somewhat out of breath.  Yuffie looked up at Meridian nervously.  What would he say?

He looked down at her with his golden eyes and asked, still in that even tone, "You were in Avalanche?"

Beatrix giggled nervously, "Oh yeah…forgot about that."

Yuffie rubbed her arm and nodded her head once, "Yeah, I'm Yuffie Kisaragi."

Meridian nodded.  Yuffie was surprised, but relieved that he didn't make a fuss like the others did.  He placed a hand on her shoulder, "As long as Ms. Kisaragi agrees with all of this, then it's alright with me."

Taerk began to protest, "But Meridian-!" but a glare sent in his direction from the silver haired man silenced him immediately.

Without another word, the man went into the kitchen and began fixing his breakfast.  Beatrix beamed at Yuffie, "There ya go!  Now you can stay with us!  If you join, you might find stuff out about that demon cat you found out there!"

Yuffie nodded dazedly, "Y-yeah."

Beatrix leaned forward eagerly, some of her hair falling into her eyes as she did so.  "So what do you say?" she asked Yuffie cheerily.  The ninja faltered.

"Er…"

Julius laid a hand on Beatrix's shoulder, and the girl looked up at him in confusion.  "Let's let Yuffie have some time to think about it, okay?"  The young girl looked put out, but she nodded mutely.

Yuffie smiled her thanks as Julius retreated back into the kitchen to finish making his breakfast.

Once again, there was a creak from the stairs, and this time Yuffie knew who it was.  Her face darkened considerably, and she tensed as she sensed the person coming nearer.

"Good morning Mikau." Beatrix said.  There was no reply.  Yuffie turned slightly and snuck a glance at the man.

He was tall with raven black hair that reached his shoulders and dark guarded eyes that were shaded beneath his bangs.  His face was stony and aloof and his pale lips were set in a straight line, as if cursed to stay that way.  He didn't make an effort to greet anyone, and seeing that the kitchen was full (it was a small kitchen) he swept past them all to the farthest chair in the room.

Ern came creeping out from his spot behind the couch, pulling up into the last available chair in the room.  He twiddled his thumbs and glanced nervously around, licking his lips occasionally as he did so.  Yuffie got the impression he was preparing himself to ask something, most likely from her.  Sure enough, he did.

"What was it like?" he stammered, eyes darting to Yuffie.

She frowned at him.  "What was what like?"

"Being with Avalanche!" Ern cried, his voice cracking.  He flinched at the sound.  It seemed Yuffie's past with the famous rebel group boosted his confidence rather than squash it, he gained the courage to ask her a question anyways.  Beatrix started up as well, clapping her hands together in glee.  "Yes, tell us about your adventures!"

Yuffie rubbed her arms, "Don't you guys already know the stories?" she muttered wearily.

"After a while they get more and more stretched, and now no one can tell what's true and what isn't.  Besides, it'd be cooler to hear it straight from one of the actual members!"

Yuffie blushed as she felt the weight of Mikau's gaze on her.  He didn't look surprised to hear she was a member of Avalanche, nor did he show much interest in the idea of Yuffie telling of her experiences.  But the simple act of looking at her made the ninja uncomfortable.  He may not be showing as much excitement or interest as Beatrix was, but she had his attention.

And in all honesty she really didn't want it.

Yuffie sighed, giving into the looks Ern and Beatrix were giving her.  Taerk was looking at her as well, trying to seem uncaring like Mikau, but he leaned forward ever so slightly and the corners of his lips hinted to a telltale smile.  Meridian and Julius, finished making their breakfasts, and leaned against the counter, looking into the living room.  They ate silently as Yuffie began.

"It all started…for me anyways, back in the forests near Junon…"

--

"…Don Corneo's henchmen had dragged me into the room beneath the giant bell, and I saw Elena all tied up to, looking angrier than a Volocidor.  She kept kicking and screaming, and part of me was kind of happy to see her there, looking like such a mess, because the woman was real stuck up and all "I love Shinra and the Turks" and stuff, so I figured whatever she got, she deserved—Then again I didn't know why Corneo kidnapped us to begin with, so if I'd have known what he planned to do with us then I wouldn't have thought that.  They were going to move us from the room, when suddenly Cloud and the others came bustin' in.  But those jerk henchmen slung Elena and me over their shoulders like we were a sack of potatoes, and ran off before they could do anything.  I was so mad, I think I broke one guy's nose at some point…"

They were all still in the living room.  An hour or two had passed, as Yuffie told her side of the story of the fight against Sephiroth.  By then everyone had had breakfast, and they were all listening with rapt attention, soaking in every word she said.  Yuffie had been uncomfortable at first, but as she continued to tell her story, she began to get more relaxed, and soon she found comfort in the one thing she had always enjoyed to do…Talk.

So imagine her disappointment when Meridian cut her story short.

"That's very fascinating, Ms. Kisaragi," he stood.  The others followed suit, some looking disappointed, "But I'm afraid we're going to have to end it there, we have issues that need to be addressed and plans to be made."  He looked to the other lycans, "Down to the basement then?" They all nodded, and immediately began to filter into the hallway, Ern, Julius, and Beatrix whispering to Yuffie on the way out:

"Great story, Yuffie!"

"Your story is fantastic, we have to hear the rest sometime."

"Amazing s-s-story!  You have to f-finish telling us the rest l-later!"

Taerk and Mikau passed her without a word, the blond man giving her a brief glance before continuing after Mikau, who didn't acknowledge her at all.  Meridian nodded to her on the way toward the hall, "I'm sorry for interrupting, but you understand."

Yuffie nodded grudgingly, miffed that she didn't get to finish at least the part about Don Corneo.  It was so good to!  Sighing, the cat girl sat there for a moment, looking around.

Now what?

Leaning against the arm of the couch, she fisted her hand in her cheek and began to examine her nails—claws, with distaste.  They were so thick and jutted out of the tips of her fingers in a way that Yuffie found grotesque.  They were sharp and threatening, and as the girl continued to study her claws, she regressed back into her dark, depressing mood.

How could she live like this?  She wouldn't even be able to keep up the illusion of normalcy no thanks to her ears and tail.  Her eyes and claws could just as well give someone a heart attack.  How could she live life if she had to live under a rock, because no one would be able to handle her appearance?  Yuffie didn't know, and it was this thick black cloud of uncertainty and confusion that frustrated her most.

How was she to move on and survive if she couldn't be sure about anything?

Her tail began to twitch and her ears fell flat against her head as she narrowed her eyes.

She'd make a decision.  She wouldn't allow herself to stay helpless like this.  She'd take initiative.

She would join Beatrix and the others.  It was the only way she could get more information about these demons that had been popping up and the only way she could stem their coming into her world.  Yuffie was going to try and fight, like life had taught her to.

This little ninja cat wasn't going to sit and wait around for answers to come to her.  She'd take her will and hope by the handle and go digging for them, getting her hands good and dirty as she did so.

But first…

She'd have to learn how to use her new senses and abilities to her advantage.  Reassess herself on a whole.  What were her weaknesses?  Her limitations?  She'd introduce herself to her new body; familiarize herself with it until she would be comfortable in the skin she was in.

Yuffie stood to her feet, and with a quick glance back at the hall, went into her room.  She shut the door behind her, quietly, then went and stood at the side of her bed.  She braced herself.

She said quietly to herself, tail swaying behind her, "Time to start seeing what I can do…this may be stupid, but it's a start."

Yuffie cleared her throat…and without even having to think about it…

She meowed.

It was soft and clear, and sounded very much like a cat…but what struck Yuffie the most was the fact that-

"I sound adorable!"

A/N: Hey, before you start stoning me, just know that the next chapter will actually have stuff happening in it. Yuffie won't be nearly as depressed as she is now (though I'm not saying she's 'recovered' exactly, she's just determined not to let herself get too down. There'll be a good deal more humor in the next chapter, anyways, so rest assured.), and some of the other Avalanche members will most likely be appearing as well.  I apologize for how slow the plot's been so far, but I promise to try and pick things up.

And to Stratadrake:  I've yet to see these Yuffie/Red pairings you speak of (but the thought of it makes me shudder…ugh, bestiality).  Also, I know I haven't gone into great detail about the character's appearances.  The lycans do look human, in fact they look completely normal (except Meridian and Ern, who are exceptions) the only thing that really hints to Yuffie that their what they say they are is their scent, which even then, stills leaves her skeptical.  I'm not really placing too much importance on appearances, only giving key details to how the characters look and maybe some quick simple lines about what their wearing.  You see, unless I can find some way to weave it into the story so that it flows nicely, I don't go into heavy detail about anyone character, especially if it really isn't necessary.  It gets clunky and tends to drag what was going smoothly.  If you've ever read Bram Stoker's, Dracula or any of Orson Scott Card's books, you'll see they BARELY go into any detail about how their characters look, but still manage to paint things out in a way that it really isn't necessary to begin with.

My English teacher tells me time and time again.  "Show us.  Don't tell us."  And it's something that I'm still striving to do.

And by the way…I'm planning to elaborate on a lot of things in the coming chapters, most importantly what my definition means on the word 'lycan' (for this story, it's a little different from folklore and the usual Hollywood image) and how this will affect Yuffie and her relationship with her new…cabin mates.


	4. Conversations and Situations

Four days had passed since that day Yuffie had resolved to do something. And she stuck to her promise, learning new things about herself everyday. She found that if she wanted, she could purr endlessly. Of course, she drove everyone insane because, in truth Yuffie purred loudly. She also learned that she could hiss (and rather menacingly to) if something ever angered or threatened her. She did this once when Taerk taunted her cat ears.

And just now, she learned three things all at once.

First she learned she could jump very high. Second she learned that her new strength and claws allowed her to scale buildings easily. And third, she learned the hard way what most cats learned at a young age…

Not to climb too high and get stuck.

Of course, sitting on top of the two story log cabin, Yuffie realized this immediately, seeing there was no way for her to come down. Or at least, no way she wanted to take.

It was mid-afternoon at the home, but the day was still cold. Yuffie was just a shivering mass, sitting on the roof, her teeth chattering loudly.

After quite a while, sitting there, fighting with her pride, Yuffie finally swallowed it and let out a long yowl.

It was something else she had learned to do, when Ern stepped on her tail just yesterday.

A minute or two later, Beatrix came out into the front, looking around. "Yuffie…?"

Yuffie shouted down at her, "I'm up here!"

The redhead turned and looked up, a look of disbelief dawning on her face as she saw where the ninja was. "Wha—How…How did you get up there!?"

"The birds gave me a lift." The girl responded sarcastically, "How do you think? I climbed!"

Beatrix shook her head, "And just what were you doing, climbing up there? It's freezing!"

"Think I don't know that!?" Yuffie snapped, still shivering. Her tail thumped angrily on the roof. "Just get me down!"

"What's going on?" Taerk came out from inside the house, and joined Beatrix. He followed the redhead's line of vision, and, spotting Yuffie, smirked. "Stuck?" he said tauntingly, crossing his arms.

Yuffie fumed. "Shut up and get me down!"

Taerk chuckled, his blonde hair blowing softly in the wind, "Why should I? You're the one who got yourself stuck up there. Why not just climb down?"

"If I could, don't you think I would have by now?"

Beatrix cut in before Taerk could get in a response. "Yuffie, how'd you get up there?"

Yuffie shrugged, "I jumped and clawed my way up."

Taerk scowled disapprovingly, "I can see where you did that…Look demon, you've got claw marks all on the side of the cabin!"

"Is it my fault you guy's wanted to play hillbillies and use _logs_ to make a home!?"

"Last time I checked we were _allowing_ you to stay here. You wanna get kicked out?"

"Last time I checked you weren't in the position to make threats like that."

Beatrix waved her arms, looking annoyed. "Hey! Hello? Guys? This isn't helping!"

Yuffie wrapped her arms around herself and muttered grumpily, "Well if Taerk would stop being 'big and stupid' over there-"

"I heard that you brat!" Taerk shouted, face reddening in anger.

"Gods you people are so loud…Just what's all the commotion about?"

Julius came into view, stopping in the snow next to Beatrix and Taerk. Doing just what Taerk did, he followed their line of vision up to Yuffie, who was growing increasingly irritated.

"I'm going to be stuck up here, aren't I?" Yuffie grumbled.

Julius scratched his head, "How'd you get up there?"

The ninja rolled her eyes.

Seeing as how everyone seemed to be coming out to look on at Yuffie's plight, Meridian and Ern also came into view, stopping beside everyone else. Yuffie glared down at them all, her tail lashing violently. "Well now that everyone's here to witness my stupidity, would any of you mind _getting me down!?_"

Ern scratched his head and asked, "How'd you get up there?"

Yuffie considered launching herself at him. Just plain jumping off the roof and ripping the stuttering man to shreds. But then, she reasoned, she'd probably break a few bones in process, and she didn't want that.

But Meridian's idea nearly made her fall right off anyway.

"Jump."

He looked serious, as he always did, and his voice was even and calm, like it always was. But Yuffie still couldn't help but think he was teasing her.

"Ha…very funny," she muttered sarcastically, "Like that's gonna work…"

Meridian shrugged. "It will."

She stared down at him. "You really can't be serious about this…"

He frowned softly at her, "Why wouldn't I be?"

Yuffie balked. Was he insane? "I can't jump off a two story house! I'll break a bone or something…or worse I'll die!"

Taerk muttered darkly to himself, "Great tragedy that would be…"

Beatrix glared at him, before turning to Meridian. "Um…Meridian, you…sure about this?"

He turned to her. "You have no faith in your leader?"

The girl paled, "No, no! That's not what I meant, I-"

"Ms. Kisaragi, you must remember what you are now. You're a demon. A cat demon. You can survive jumps higher than this. If you really feel like you hit the ground too hard, just tuck and roll." Meridan's eyes shined with a fierceness that instilled confidence in Yuffie. Maybe she really could do this…

"If I die…" Yuffie muttered, standing and stepping carefully to the edge of the roof, "…I'll come back to haunt you all."

And with that she jumped.

Though she had grown enough courage to do the stunt, that didn't mean she was completely confident.

In fact she screamed the whole way down.

With a dull thud, the cat girl landed in the snow, bending her knees so as to absorb the shock. She didn't stumble or trip, only straightened, looking surprised.

"Holy Shiva…" she breathed, eyes wide.

Everyone, except Meridian, looked just as shocked. Both Beatrix and Julius's mouths were hanging open and Taerk's eyes were widened in disbelief. Ern let out a simple squeak.

Yuffie was looking down at herself as if seeing her body for the first time. After a moment, she squealed. "That was great!" she danced around on the spot, "I'm Yuffie, the invincible kitty ninja!"

Taerk rolled his eyes and Beatrix giggled.

Yuffie ran back toward the cabin. "I'm doing that again!"

Julius started in alarm, "Yuffie, wait-!"

But she didn't pay him any mind. With an almighty jump, the girl hit the side of the cabin, only a couple of feet below the roof. Beatrix winced as she clawed the rest of the way to the top. "Ack…look at those claw marks…"

--

Mikau watched silently as Yuffie flew past his bedroom window for the sixth time. He looked down at the others outside. Taerk was holding a ladder and was shouting something, his face pink. The corner of the man's lips lifted in what suspiciously looked like a smile as he watched the shenanigans down below.

After watching Yuffie's eighth jump, he got up and left the room.

--

"So what's the deal with you guys?" Yuffie asked Beatrix, later that day. They were both sitting in the living room, Yuffie exhausted from all the jumping she did, Beatrix keeping her company. The others were down in the basement again. Whatever they were planning obviously didn't include the younger girl, and Yuffie was glad to have someone to talk to.

"What do you mean?" Beatrix responded, sitting back in the recliner. She wriggled gleefully in it. Usually she never got to sit there.

Yuffie shrugged, the tip of her tail flopping lazily on the couch cushion. "I mean, how did you all meet? You, Julius, Ern, all of you. You are all so different. Groups like that just don't happen."

Beatrix sighed, stretching. "It's a long story…"

Yuffie sat back. "And I've got plenty of time to kill."

The redhead sat forward, "Okay…Here's how it started I guess…and I'm just going to give you the gist of things, cuz' I'm kind of impatient, and I mean it when I say this story is a long one…"

The cat girl nodded. "All right. That's fine with me."

Beatrix crossed her legs, sitting in her seat Indian style. "This all started when we were young. About nine years ago in Shinra. That's the year Meridian was brought in by the science department as a specimen. He came alone, because his parents had resisted, and they killed them. I was only seven years old then, but I had been in born in captivity. So had Taerk, Ern, and Julius. We were all under 'observation' by the science department. They wanted to know more about us…see if they could harness our abilities for their own uses. In the end, they injected us with a bunch of 'enhancing' chemicals and performed surgery on us…All of us." The girl reached up and felt the side of her head, "I can still feel the scars…"

Yuffie paled, remembering stories from Aeris, Cloud, and Vincent. Just being under observation was demeaning enough. But for Shinra to just start experimenting with living things like something gave them the right to…

"Kisamas…" the ninja hissed.

Beatrix continued quietly, "Julius came out with enhanced eyes and reflexes. Taerk was given super strength. And Ern gained super hearing and photographic memory…I…I was given telekinetic powers."

Yuffie raised her eyebrows. "Wow…" but as she saw the look on Beatrix's face, her amazement faded away and was quickly replaced by dread. "Lemme' guess…things didn't exactly go as planned. Right?"

The younger girl sighed, looking remorseful. "Every now and then I get these bad headaches…I get dizzy and everything. And whenever I try to use my powers again, I get this excruciating headache. It's like a blinding pain…sometimes it's enough to make me go unconscious."

"Shiva…that's horrible!"

Beatrix shrugged, "I haven't had a headache in a while, and as long as I don't try to use my powers I'm fine. But nothing's for certain. For all I know, I'm dying."

Yuffie frowned, "Can't you, I dunno…check or something?"

Beatrix laughed bitterly, "Check!? Yuffie, we're _lycans_. We can't go to human doctors for anything."

"But…but…No!" the cat girl was sitting up, straight as a rod, her tail lashing slightly in passion. "You have to check! You really could be dying! Don't you wanna know? This isn't some menial thing!"

"And if the doctor finds out what I am, if he doesn't mind, if he finds a problem, do you really think he'll be able to do anything to help?"

Yuffie fell quiet. She bared her teeth fiercely, trying her hardest to come up with an argument, to come up with a _solution_…but she could find none.

She sat back again and rubbed at her eyes. "…S'not fair. Any of it."

Beatrix sighed, looking years older than she truly was. Crimson eyes downcast, she murmured, "I know…"

"…But you got out. You all got out! How?"

"Meridian."

"He rescued you?"

"He helped us escape. You see, not too long after they brought him in, Hojo called upon all scientists for this experiment he was doing."

"…Jenova?"

"Yeah, the project took all of the scientist's time and efforts. Pretty soon, we were sitting there, forgotten.

"Really. We were just there, the five of us. But then, finally, Meridian worked up a plan to get us out. Ern worked out all the kinks, and we were set to go. Julius, Taerk, and Meridian took out the guards during feeding time and busted Ern and me out of our cages. I would have done it myself, but those scientists were smart. They put disruptors around my cage, so that I couldn't use my powers.

"When we were out, Ern hacked into the computers and printed out a map of the building. After Taerk and Meridian put on the guard's clothes, cuz' they were the only ones who fit in them, we snuck out our way out of the Shinra building. Me, Julius, and Ern hid under some draped trolleys, and Taerk and Meridian pretended to be transferring something important to another department. Since their tags said 'Science Department Staff', everyone kept away and didn't ask many questions. No one wanted to get mixed up in what they were doing.

"After that, we got to the garage and hijacked a car, then we high tailed it out of there. It was the first time I had ever seen the outside. I was scared. Midgar didn't look like friendly place, but neither did the Shinra building, so I couldn't really complain.

"Eventually they found out we went missing and placed bounties on our heads, but we snuck out by way of the slums and went all the way to Kalm. They didn't pursue us. They were too busy with other important things to go looking for a couple of rejected specimens."

Yuffie let out a breath of air, "Geez…so you guys were able to get out? What did you do from there?"

"We decided to become a pack. Our only problem was who the leader was going to be. The others all decided to have a fighting contest and whoever was the victor would be leader. So one night, on a full moon, we went out into the fields, far from the town, and held the contest. I didn't fight, obviously. I was too young. Ern and Julius were taken out quick, and the fight was eventually narrowed down to Meridian and Taerk…Taerk was really strong and everything, but Meridian was way too quick for him. In the end, Taerk got tired, and Meridian won."

"And then you guys went on to form a small time rebel group, right?"

Beatrix frowned at Yuffie, "Yeah, when we were a little older…How'd you know?"

"Julius told me."

"Oh…"

"So tell me about how you guys met Mikau. He doesn't seem very social, in fact he seems like he doesn't like any of you very much at all."

"That's just Mikau, he's always been like that. He joined our pack three years ago and still none of us really know much about him."

"Creepy…reminds me of a friend of mine-"

"Vincent Valentine? Yes, I've heard of him. He was the anti-social one of your group, right?"

Yuffie bristled slightly at hearing a companion of hers referred to so loosely. "He was quiet and stuff, but he wasn't a bad guy…just been through a lot, y'know?"

Beatrix shrugged, "I never said he was a bad guy, just said he was anti-social."

Silence followed as the two girls fell quiet. This had been the first time in several days that they had been able to talk so much. Yuffie still didn't consider any of them her 'friends', per say, but she couldn't deny she was getting closer and closer to them as time wore on. She liked Julius and Beatrix at any rate, but the others she wasn't quite sure about. Taerk didn't really like her, or she him, Ern seemed to be in awe of her and she found it hard to keep a conversation with him and not get flustered or annoyed. Then there was Meridian, whom Yuffie really didn't have a definitive opinion on. The man intimidated her, but he seemed nice enough. Only she couldn't help but feel like there was a wall surrounding him. Meridian was fair, reasonable, and trusting. But he didn't seem to know anything else besides being a leader.

"Don Corneo."

Yuffie looked up. "Huh?"

Beatrix was looking at her with an expectant grin. "Don Corneo! You didn't get to finish your story last time!"

The cat girl flushed. "Oh yeah, that's right…"

She had avoided thinking about Avalanche in her time at the cabin, mainly because thinking about them meant remembering a group of friends she could never see again. They had been the only real friends she had ever made, and now, because of what she had been turned into, no one she knew would recognize her. No one would want to accept her new form.

Yuffie was lost to them now.

The older girl bit her lip, her ears drooping some as these thoughts passed through her mind. Beatrix frowned at her, concerned. "Yuffie? What's wrong?"

The cat girl began to speak as if she hadn't heard her. "Don Corneo tied me and Elena to the Da-Chao statue. It was at least a 100-foot drop to the ground. Cloud and the other Turks, Rude and Reno, saved us. Corneo was killed." Beatrix blinked, and Yuffie looked up at her with distant eyes. "The Turks left, and the others escorted me back to my house, where I gave them back their materia. I tagged along with them to the Temple of Ancients, after that…" The ninja sighed and looked up at the ceiling. "I stole their materia and they still let me come. I wasn't very popular after all that, especially with the guys of our group, but they gave me a second chance. I was determined not to screw that up. I was so grateful; I didn't care about the dangers or hardships that were coming. It was already obvious bad things were going to happen. It was like Cid had once said, they were all stupid and crazy, but none of that mattered…because I was stupid and crazy to, and they accepted me as a member of their group when no one else would have…"

Beatrix smiled softly, her eyes shining. "That' so sweet…"

Yuffie rubbed the back of her neck. "Yeah…real 'sweet'." She muttered.

She had never really been one for anything too 'mushy'.

Beatrix giggled, "Aw, come on! Why so glum?"

The ninja shrugged, her tail twitching slightly.

The redhead tilted her head to one side. "…You shouldn't be afraid y'know."

Yuffie's eyes snapped in her direction. "Afraid? Of what?" she asked guardedly.

"Afraid of your friends. After all they've been through, you'll still be the same to them."

The ninja frowned, "I'm not-"

"Sure you are."

Yuffie scowled, her cheeks reddening for the second time. Her tail began to wiggle around in agitation. "Yeah, well…what makes you so certain about that, huh? It's been two years since I've seen any of them. Do you really think they'll be-"

"Okay with it? No of course not. It'll be a nasty shock seeing you like that. But my point is, if they're really your friends, they won't reject you."

Yuffie said nothing for a moment. "…I'm not going to see them. Any of them."

Beatrix shrugged, "All right. We won't force you or anything."

Another long silence reigned over the room. Yuffie sat in discomfort, looking around in search of something to distract herself with. Occasionally she spared a glance in Beatrix's direction, frowning at the girl's content expression.

Why was she looking so…happy?

Considering she was suffering from past experiments from a bunch of mad scientists from Shinra, and with no parents to call her own, she had every reason to be sad or pessimistic.

But she wasn't.

Beatrix was positive and happy-go-lucky, and energetic and caring. She didn't seem to mind her past or her current situation.

Yuffie envied her resilience.

The two girls locked eyes, and Beatrix smiled at her.

She did that often.

"What's a hanyou?" she asked abruptly.

She did _that_ often to…

"Um…" Yuffie scratched her head, "It's a word in my language that means a demon, human half-breed. I didn't think they existed; they were just an old legend in our culture. But apparently…" she wriggled her ears sheepishly and Beatrix laughed.

The younger girl eventually quieted down, and stared dreamily up at Yuffie's ears. Wistfully she said, "I wish I could keep my wolf ears when I'm in this form…they look so cute…" she smiled faintly.

Yuffie raised an eyebrow at her.

"Two days…" Beatrix murmured, curling into a secure little ball in her seat. Her eyes grew distant and gleamed with something Yuffie couldn't quiet put her finger on.

But whatever it was, it was making her nervous.

Beatrix closed her eyes and sighed. "Two more days until the full moon comes…"

--

The long, warm, arms of the sun came down from the sky, embracing its children lovingly. The breath of the wind blew lightly at their hair, keeping them cool, and the water lapped up onto the sand in invitation, whispering and murmuring cheerfully in a language long since dead.

These children were the children of the sun.

These were the residents of Costa del Sol.

Indulgent and ungrateful, they hid from the sun's love; they ignored the wind's kindness, and took advantage of the water's hospitality.

All except one woman.

Lying far away from everyone else, on a blanket she laid out on the sand, Tifa Lockheart was sun bathing. She enjoyed every breeze from the wind, and listened to the water's soft banter, taking in every word, though she didn't understand what any of it meant.

Easing her mind and her body, the brunette tried to relax with a sigh, her long hair spreading out around her.

She had been living in Costa del Sol for a year now, with Cloud. Before they had been living in Nibleheim, but memories still hung heavy in the air there. Eventually the two couldn't take it anymore and had moved here.

Both of them had grown out of the Nibleheim. They had left those painful memories behind.

Tifa sighed again and rolled over onto her stomach, her eyes holding nothing but sadness.

She and Cloud had been together for two years, ever since Meteor and the fight against Sephiroth. But from the start, the woman had felt something was missing. Cloud would get introversive and quiet. No amount of coaxing from her could snap him out of it. There was always a wall there, and Tifa was at ends at how to get around it.

It had been ages since he had last touched her. He avoided deep conversations and tried to find any excuse to get out of the house. Away from her.

But today she spared him the trouble and went out herself. "I want to work on my tan." She had said, "To think we've been here so long and not gone to the beach!"

Lies.

Tifa wanted desperately to talk with him, to help him. But she knew she couldn't. If anything, she would make the problem worse…what was the problem exactly?

Aeris.

It pained her to think of her deceased friend in such a way, but that was the truth. Cloud hadn't gotten over her yet and it seemed he never would.

Two years. It had been two years, their being together. If Cloud couldn't get out of his slump, Tifa would leave him.

She couldn't keep saving him. She couldn't keep sacrificing for him.

It brought tears to her eyes, because, perhaps foolishly, she still felt very strongly about him. But after all they had been through, if he still couldn't see the love she felt for him, then it really was time to just give up and leave.

Months had passed since they last slept together. Months since they had last really talked. Tifa wanted a family, and she just couldn't have that if things didn't change. In all honesty, she was tired of waiting for Cloud. She had always been waiting for him.

The woman closed her eyes as a tear slipped out.

She had always been waiting.

--

Cloud was sitting slumped on a bar stool, in some dingy pub on the outskirts of town. He held his head in his hands, staring groggily down his empty shot glass, the bitter taste of alcohol still lingering on his tongue. Distantly he registered the voices of the other bar patrons. Laughing, giggling, guffawing…

…They were laughing at him. He just knew it.

Cloud slammed his fist into the counter, a sudden wave of anger overtaking him. The bar quieted down and he felt the weight of eyes on his back, but he ignored them. Raising his shot glass, he muttered, "Bartender. Gimme another drink…"

The man behind the counter eyed him warily, but nevertheless filled his glass.

The swordsman downed it in one fell swoop.

_Infertile._

"Hit me again," he demanded harshly, fist clenching tightly around the glass. The bartender filled it, and Cloud downed it again, without hesitation.

_Disloyal._

"Again!" he snarled, slamming his glass back onto the counter.

The bartender glared at him. "Look, I think you've had enough."

_A failure._

Cloud grabbed the man by the collar and hissed, his breath stinking with alcohol, "Just. Pour. The damn. Drink."

A silky voice sounded next to him, and the swordsman blinked in surprise. "My…aren't we feisty now?"

He turned to the voice, letting go of the bartender, who was also staring on in surprise.

On the stool beside Cloud, sat a woman with fiery red hair. She was quite possibly the most voluptuous woman he had ever seen, with full cherry lips and a busty chest that could easily have rivaled Tifa's. She was captivating in ever way.

But what really hooked him were her eyes.

The woman smiled and held out a hand. "I'm Terra…"

Cloud could only stare at her, his eyes locked onto hers. He was drowning in her…She was so…beautiful…

He jumped up with a start, "Oh…Um, my name's Cloud." He shook her hand and silently he marveled at her soft skin.

The woman's smile widened and she leaned forward, revealing a little cleavage. "Ah, so you're the hero who saved the world…"

Any other time, Cloud would have corrected her. But now he didn't. Now, he wasn't thinking straight.

He was under a spell.

He chuckled, leaning in a little as well. "Yes…I saved the world. I stopped Sephiroth single handedly."

Terra let out a purr, eyes shining with an insidious light, "Really now? Well…'Mr. Hero'…Would you like to come to my apartment for a drink? It will only take a second…"

Cloud nodded slowly, his eyes clouding over. "Yeah…sure I would."

Terra bit her lip playfully and took Cloud's hand, pulling him off the stool. "Come on then, my house is only a half a block away…"

Cloud grinned and nodded his head mutely while the other male patrons of the bar sent him envious glares. The bartender, who had listened in on the whole exchange, dried his face with a towel. "Hoo boy…" he muttered.

A pair of women sitting in a shadowy corner of the bar exchanged dark looks. One of the women, the one with short, pale blonde hair, stood, her gray eyes narrowing. Turning to her companion, she jerked her head towards the door. The other woman stood as well, her raven black hair pouring over her shoulder as she pushed her chair back into place. She smoothed out her skirt and nodded solemnly. "Let's go."

Cloaks sweeping, they left the bar and went after Cloud and Terra.

A/N: If this chapter is crap, it may be because I wrote this in just two days. As promised, Cloud and Tifa made an appearance in this chapter, and are going to be showing up more as time goes by…And before you start saying how out of character Cloud is, just wait until the next chapter, for things to be explained…

And I realize what Yuffie's 'discovering' about herself is really just some of the more basic and easy things, but as stated before, it would make sense to get used to things like that, so that when the time came for her to really push her limits, she isn't 'tripping' and 'falling' so to speak.

And I gave some more background on the lycans, next chapter is going to have some real action in it, so maybe things won't seem so boring around here.

Stratadrake: The Volocidor was me trying to type down the name of a specific monster which was actually the 'vlakorados', and it lurks right there in the Bone Village area. I couldn't remember the name, so I put 'volocidor' down and made a mental note to go back and change it after I checked the name. Apparently, I forgot, and I didn't change it… 

Blargh…'too', 'to', 'it's', 'its', it all gets confusing. It's kind of sad since we reviewed the latter pair in our school. In fact, I think I've forgot the rules of use for 'too' and 'to'…I'll have to look that up.

One of these day's I'll go back and correct those chapters, but for now, out of simple laziness, I'll leave them be…

And on a side note: Anyone who thinks a Red/Yuffie pairing would work, needs to be shot into space and blown up just for their sheer creepy thinking.

Next chapter most likely will get done fast, if not, you know what happened...

Life.

Oh and please be a pal and leave a review…polite, constructive criticism is, as always, very much appreciated.


	5. Changes

The apartment was small and cramped, and from what Cloud could see there were only two rooms, the bathroom and the bedroom…that also happened to be the kitchen, dining, and living room. The bed was a dingy mattress on the floor, with blankets and a pillow. The small sink was chipped and rusting, with dirty plates piling high. The floor was littered with clothes, beer bottles and cans, papers, and other junk…

And Cloud was in heaven.

Terra laughed melodically, snaking her arms around his waist, pulling him closer into an intimate embrace. Eyes hooded with lust, Cloud's breath caught in his throat as the woman whispered, lips teasing his…

"Make love to me."

The swordsmen crashed his lips against hers in a bruising kiss, not thinking why he was doing what he was doing, but just doing it…because her eyes told him to.

And Terra had beautiful eyes.

Stumbling toward the mattress, the two crashed down onto it, Cloud quickly tossing off his shirt as he captured the woman's lips again.

Her hands raked across his bare back, and she moaned from deep within her throat as he deepened the kiss. Feeling her beneath him, Cloud let out a groan of his own and ran his hands up and down her sides hungrily.

The promised drink had long since been forgotten.

In a flash, the buttons on Terra's shirt were undone, and before Cloud knew it, the positions were switched, and Terra was on top of him, straddling his waist. Both were flushed in the cheeks and breathing heavily. The woman gave Cloud a feral smile and leaning in she hissed, eyes flashing, "Bring me back to life…" her lips inched closer to his and-

"Get away from him."

Terra's eyes widened and she drew away sharply, twisting around to see whom the intruder was. The women from the bar were standing in the doorway, eyes narrowed in distaste. In their lustful craze, Cloud and Terra had forgotten one thing…

They had forgotten to shut the front door.

Terra let out an inhuman hiss from deep within her throat. Cloud watched in horror as her beautiful crimson eyes turned orange and soulless.

"Wretched beasts!" she screeched. She leapt off of Cloud, her nails cutting painfully into his chest as she did so. With a thump, she landed on the ground next to the mattress, crouching like a frog. The swordsmen quickly sat up, and his eyes grew twice their size as Terra's arms and legs turned green and tenuous.

"Get away from her!" It was the blonde woman. Eyes glowing with a blue light, she raised her hand. Cloud began to scramble to other side of the room, off the mattress and onto the littered floor. What the hell was going on?

The woman's hand glowed with the same blue light of her eyes, the energy and light flickering off her fingers like flames and dancing in the air like wisps. There was a blast as something shot out of the icy inferno, and with a sharp crash it hit Terra in the chest, pinning her to the floor. Cloud gulped. Hard.

It was a thick ice shard, and it had impaled Terra's chest…but instead of crimson blood seeping on the carpet…there was a thick oozing green liquid pouring out instead, steaming and hissing as it touched the carpet, as though it were acid. Terra's eyes bulged and she gurgled, more of the liquid gushing from her mouth. Her face, to Cloud's terror, began to lengthen and steadily turn greener until the woman lying on the floor was no longer the woman Cloud had come up with. It was a thing…a horrible thing with grotesque, long, spindly limbs, with stretched green skin that looked dead and rotting. The face was gaunt and the mouth filled with jagged, black teeth.

Cloud closed his eyes and rubbed at his face. "Damn…" he shook his head, "What…what-!"

"Succubus."

Cloud opened his eyes again and looked up to see the raven-haired woman kneeling down next to the monster's corpse, examining it. "A female demon that preys on human men, they lure them in with illusions of beauty and during intercourse…literally suck the life out of them." She gave a disgusted look, "Damn things…I hate these! …Why couldn't we find an anthromorphic? Those aren't so bad…"

The raven-haired woman was young and fair, with almond shaped eyes and long silky hair that reached her waist. She wore a red plaid skirt and thigh high leather boots that squeaked in protest whenever she moved. Apparently not dressed for the warm weather, she wore a light green, long sleeved shirt and a heavy emerald green cloak.

The blonde, who had returned to normal (her eyes and hands didn't glow anymore), responded dully, "If we had gotten something like…a cat demon, we'd still be fighting. You know how wily those things get."

The raven-haired woman glanced up at Cloud with a raised eyebrow, "And you're supposed to be some world renowned hero?"

The blonde turned to him as well, crossing her arms. She was a mid-size woman, with fierce gray eyes and pale blonde hair that resembled his hair's spikiness and rebelliousness. She wore a white blouse, gray pants, black-heeled boots, and a dark navy blue cloak over her shoulders. Brows knitted together, she regarded him coolly, "You're Cloud Strife?"

Cloud nodded slowly. Getting to his feet, he dusted himself off. He was still shaky. His hands wouldn't keep steady and the adrenaline was still running fresh through his veins…

"What is this?" he demanded, sounding shaken.

The blonde woman sighed. "My name's Rae," she gestured to the raven-haired woman, who stood. "And this is my companion, Jenila." The woman gave an informal wave. Rae glared at her.

Jenila ignored the glare and picked up where the other woman left off, "We were sent here to look for the members of Avalanche, and to find any way to stop the coming dangers in the future."

Cloud shook his head again, trying to shake off the dizziness now sweeping over him. All those drinks…

With a plop, he fell back onto the floor again, landing on his rear. He gave a slight shout however, as he landed on a fork. Pulling it out from underneath him, he glared at it groggily before throwing it away. Rae and Jenila exchanged looks.

"Look…uh, Mr. Strife?" the blonde one began, starting forward, "Maybe we should escort you back to our hotel room…we'll be able to discuss matters better there."

But as she reached for his arm to pull him up, Cloud drew away, scowling. "Leave me…" he muttered.

Rae and Jenila exchanged looks again, "I'm sorry Mr. Strife, but-"

"I said leave me!" he shouted. Who the hell were these women? What did they want with him, really? Were they just a pair of crazed fans, taking advantage of his drunken stupor? Well they wouldn't be taking advantage of him…even when drunk, Cloud still managed to think straight…if only just a little slowly. Of course coordination was a whole other story.

But then, if he really could think so clearly when drunk, then just what in the gods name came over him in that bar? What drove him to follow that woman? Terra?

"Her eyes…" he croaked, eyes flickering over to the green corpse lying on the other side of the mattress. "They were so beautiful…I couldn't look away from them."

Jenila kneeled down next to him, looking at him long and hard. Her dark eyes swept over his disheveled state, to his messier than usual hair, to his rumpled clothes. On the swordsmen's chests were the gouge marks Terra had left when she jumped off of him. They were still bleeding, but he didn't seem to notice. Or care. Cloud's eyes were spaced out as he became lost in his thoughts, sitting there slumped in all the litter and garbage. It was a sad sight, but this was the leader of the famous rebel group, who had saved the world.

"The mighty fall hard, don't they?" she whispered, tilting her head to one side.

Dull, blue eyes drifted to her face, narrowed slightly in resentment…resentment because her words were so painfully true.

The woman spoke again, her eyes lowering to the ground. "You were cast under a spell. The succubus was leading you into her lair, ensnaring your mind with her magic. It was no fault of yours that you're here now…"

Cloud turned his gaze back toward the corpse. "That…thing…is a 'succubus'?"

Jenila nodded mutely.

Cloud looked up at both of the women, his eyes clouding over in confusion. "…Who'd you guys say you were again?"

Jenila faltered. "We're…"

"Exterminators." Rae finished, her face blank.

Cloud frowned, still disbelieving, but he said nothing.

The three of them all sat there, letting the awkward silence sink in deep. Cloud continued staring ahead, while Jenila and Rae exchanged worried glances.

"Mr. Strife…?" the blonde started tentatively.

"Don't call me that." He snapped. He stood clumsily to his feet, swaying a little, "I'm going home…" he mumbled. Cloud staggered toward the door.

"Wait!" Jenila cried, standing, "But we've come so long to find you!"

"A pair of 'exterminators' wanted to find me?" Cloud said sarcastically, glancing back at the two with cool eyes.

The women blushed.

Rae wrung her hands. "Okay, Mr.-" the swordsmen glared, and she corrected herself, "Okay…Cloud. We're…not exterminators." She bit her lip, "We were sent by higher powers to find you and your friends. Trouble really is coming, and this isn't some small thing. In fact this is 'end of the world' stuff here."

"And just how do you know this?" Cloud was finding it harder to concentrate. He really had drunk too much…

"There have been monsters…creatures popping up all over the place. And these aren't your run-of-the-mill monsters either."

"Oh really? Why haven't I heard of these monsters?" The room lurched. Cloud shook his head as he tried to keep himself steady.

"Because, they're blending in with society. They're taking cover among ordinary monsters, and nesting in out of the way places where no humans go. There haven't been many sightings, because these creatures don't _want_ to be sighted."

Cloud tried to get out a response, but he couldn't. The whole world was spinning. His knees were growing weak. He lurched forward and heard Rae and Jenila shout as the floor rushed up to meet him…

--

"Gawd, he's so freaking heavy!"

"Will you quit complaining? We're almost there!"

"But he weighs a ton…and Great Alexander! He _reeks!_"

"I told you we should have got him before he drank himself into a stupor…_now_ look at him!"

"Was I the one trying to be formal with a drunkard? 'Mr. Strife'…you sounded ridiculous!"

"I was being proper! Unlike you, who was speaking to him like he was just some schmuck off the street…"

"He was _drunk_, Rae! Do you really think he would have cared whether we were formal or not? Besides, I get the impression this world isn't so big on formalities."

Rae and Jenila were slowly making their way through the back alleys of Costa del Sol, their feet dragging as they carried the unconscious Cloud along with them. His boots scraped across the pavement, but the two women didn't take notice. They were trying to get back to their hotel, and trying to resist strangling each other in the meantime.

Rae, the mature and seemingly older one, was adamant when it came to procedure and proper behavior. Jenila however, was a bit more rebellious and energetic, and was prone to speak her mind at the worst times. They were a team, the two of them, and they had been for the longest time…however, it was the first time either of them could remember ever having to drag a drunk, ex-rebel leader, who happened to have helped save the world, back to their place of stay.

It was surely a new experience for the both of them.

That didn't make it a pleasant one, however.

Rae growled, "Why'd you have to go and tell him about the succubus? We could have kept it simpler if you hadn't started spewing that bestiary garbage…"

Jenila scowled across at her, hefting the arm she had slung over her shoulders a little higher to keep it from slipping. "Rae, what did you want me to do? We killed the thing in front of him, he would have wanted to know."

"The keyword there is 'would' have. It's like you said, he was drunk, not only that, shocked and scared. Over-loading someone with information is never good in a situation like that."

"Did you see the look on his face? He actually thought he had done something wrong! I had to tell him."

"As sweet as you're reasons were, this is still going to be a pain in the ass trying to convince him of everything now…"

The other woman shrugged, "Well, at least we got him…maybe now we'll find the others soon to."

"I heard three of them are in Corel, Mideel, and Cosmo Canyon."

"Do you know where those are on the map?"

"Generally, yes. You would to, if you did a little researching for once…"

Jenila smiled sweetly. "But why waste my time doing that when you do it so well?"

Rae rolled her eyes.

As they rounded the corner into another alley, the hotel came into view, the dilapidated building looking like heaven from where the two women stood.

Jenila sighed in relief. "Finally…" lifting Cloud's arm more securely on her shoulders, she began to move, "Come on, before someone sees us!"

Rae cried out as Cloud slipped a little from her grasp, "Hey! Watch it! We have to move in unison!"

"What are we going to do when he wakes up?" Jenila asked as they emerged from the alley onto the sidewalk. The two glanced around cautiously, before proceeding to cross the street.

"What else can we do?" Rae puffed as they entered the building. "We have to tell him the truth. We'll have to wait till then though…it looks like he'll be unconscious for a while…"

"Damn alcohol…" Jenila cursed. They pushed the elevator button, and waited impatiently for the elevator to come down. "It makes the lives of the sober a living hell."

"I wish we knew where he lived…I get the feeling if he doesn't make it home soon, there'll be trouble."

"And you think he'll be okay when he wakes up in his room and sees us there?" The elevator doors opened and they stepped on.

Rae sighed wearily. "I guess you're right…either way, this isn't going to be pretty…"

The doors slid shut.

--

Tifa came into the villa, a t-shirt and shorts pulled on over her bikini. Blanket held to her chest, the fighter glanced around the dark home. The curtains were pulled shut, and the house was quiet. A distinct stillness was in the air, and it felt unwelcoming. Tifa sighed.

Cloud was gone again.

Tossing the folded blanket on a nearby chair, Tifa went into the kitchen, opening the fridge. She frowned as she looked inside, pushing aside the milk carton and jar of olives. They needed to go grocery-shopping…Well _she_ needed to go grocery shopping. Cloud wouldn't go anywhere with her or do anything remotely helpful anymore.

In a sudden burst of anger, Tifa slammed the fridge shut, several magnets clattering to the floor. "Just what am I supposed to do!?" she cried, pounding a fist into the refrigerator door. She stood there heaving; her eyes shining with unshed tears. Frustration and anger was bubbling up inside her, but it all died away as quickly as it came, replaced with a cold despair. Tifa slumped to the ground with a groan.

Looking down at the scattered magnets, the fighter spotted one that brought back many memories…both bitter and sweet. Slowly she picked it up and examined it.

It was rather large for magnet, and was very colorful and decorative. With blue flower designs and lavender frame, in the center it showed a picture of her and Cloud on their wedding day. Both were smiling and holding hands. By the time the picture had been taken, they had already taken their vows.

And now, nearly two years later, those vows were about to be broken.

Tifa threw the magnet away from her.

If Cloud hadn't loved her, then why did he marry her? Did he feel obligated? Did he think he was doing her a favor?

Tifa hugged her knees to her chest, her face darkening. He did her no favor, stringing her along like this. He brought her no joy, wearing that wedding ring and not meaning or believing the vows that stood behind it.

Tifa was a patient woman, but her patience was lost now.

Years of hurt, disappointment, and frustration burned in her eyes as she stared morosely ahead of her. She had always been the understanding one, the one who sacrificed and always gave to others. She had never been perfect, and maybe not as 'heavenly' as Aeris had been, but she had always been determined. But just how long could one person, one heart, persevere against so much pain? How long would she have to wait for happiness? Tifa was tired of waiting.

So, simply put, she wasn't going to wait anymore.

The moment Cloud came home, she was going to have a talk with him, and he would hear her. She would make him hear her if she had to.

It was the only way Tifa could tell him goodbye.

--

Cloud woke with a groan, his head pounding with pain. Groggily he opened his eyes and glanced around, wincing as the light invaded his senses. He was in a bedroom. That much he could tell. His head was pillowed and his body was covered in soft blankets. There were bandages on his chest, and it throbbed with a dull pain. Next to him was a bedside table and chair. Down right of the bed was the door, slightly ajar. A shaft of light splashed onto the bed and the opposite wall, hinting that there was a window behind Cloud. Guessing by the light, it was late evening.

His ears perked at the sound of someone eating chips, and a second later someone came into the room.

It was the raven-haired woman, Jenila.

In her hand was a bag of tortilla chips, which she was eating cheerfully. The cloak and boots were gone. Now she wore only a simple pair of sneakers and a light sweater.

She gave him a slight wave. "Morning, sunshine."

Cloud winced at her voice. "Where am I?"

Jenila sat in the chair next to his bed. "You're in our hotel room, we carried you here."

The swordsmen closed his eyes, and groaned. "What do you want with me already?"

"We just want your cooperation." The woman said with a shrug. She ate another chip.

Cloud scowled, "Can you-?"

"Hey, Rae! He's awake!" Jenila shouted, turning towards the door. The swordsmen winced again, gripping his head.

"Keep your voice down!" he hissed vehemently.

Rae, the blonde woman from before, came into the room, quietly shutting the door behind her. "You did that on purpose, Jenila." She snapped in a low voice.

Jenila shrugged nonchalantly. "Of course I did."

"Well don't do it again, or I'll clip your wings." Rae knelt down next to the bed, looking apologetic. "I apologize for my companion here…she can be a pain sometimes." Jenila glared reproachfully.

"Why'd you bring me here? What do you really want that's so important?" Cloud asked, aggravated.

Rae frowned at him. "We had to. That apartment you were in, the one with the succubus, would soon be crawling with other demons from around the area. If they found you, you would have been killed immediately."

"…Demons? What-?"

"I know you have a lot of questions…but please, give me a moment to explain."

Cloud looked as if he were going to protest, but he thought against it, and shut his mouth with a snap.

Rae ran a troubled hand through her hair. Jenila had stopped eating chips and was watching her companion carefully.

"We…that is to say, Jenila and I…are not…from…around here." The woman finished lamely. She blushed a little and rubbed the back of her neck. Mentally she tried to sort out her words as best she could.

How could she explain this to him?

"We know few things about this city…or any other cities for that matter," she stood and went around the end of the bed, towards the window. Cloud rolled over onto his back and gazed at her quietly. His original suspicions of them being wacky activists or crazed fans were quickly fading…instead he began to feel a foreboding deep within his gut. They spoke of a danger…what danger? These _demons?_

Rae continued quietly, turning toward the window. "This world, and the people in it, is all new to us." She held out her palm and gazed down at it with half-lidded eyes. Turning slightly, she gave Cloud a sidelong glance. "Nothing is familiar…all we know is that a rebel group named Avalanche had saved the world from complete destruction, and that a new danger is emerging straight from the planet's heart and soul, ready to threaten it's existence again…"

Her hand began to glow with the light from before, the energy flickering in the air like flames. It hurt to look at it, because of the hangover, but Cloud continued to stare. This wasn't a normal ice spell…

"Our superiors sent us to stop the danger before the planet could be overrun. Because, if this planet's taken over, it could greatly endanger our race, _my_ race, in the long run…"

Rae turned to Cloud completely and held out her hand. Cold blue flames danced rhythmically in her palm before the movements slowed and the flames began to take shape. It twisted and solidified, turning white, until it finally transformed into something. An angel, made completely of ice, hovered eerily over her palm, wings out spread and her hands held reverently in front of her. It glistened, and a flurry of snow swirled around it as it began to turn slowly, like a twirling ballerina from a jewelry box. Cloud watched entranced.

"We're different from everyone here, we know nothing about this world, it's customs, or it's people, because we're from another realm. We…aren't human…" she closed her palm, and the ice angel and snow vanished instantly. Cloud blinked.

"We're angels. And we're here to stop the demons from taking over you're world."

Cloud stared at her, then at Jenila. He slowly sat up, pain shooting through his head as he did so. "And what do you want with me and the others?" he asked cautiously.

"Right now, you and your friends hold the most power in the world-"

Cloud snorted derisively, "You really think that? The only ones who have any real influence are Barret, Reeve, and Nanaki. Tifa and me live off our fortune and have no jobs. Vincent and Yuffie have dropped off the face of the earth as far as I'm concerned. And Cid is still just a simple mechanic."

"But the world looks to you. All of you. And it's been said you hold the power of the Knights of the Round. No one in the world has more experience than Avalanche when it comes to matters like this."

Cloud scowled, "If you think we saved the world because we're powerful, you're wrong…"

"And the fact that you defeated Sephiroth and all of the Weapons isn't important?" Rae said coolly.

"…Just how much did you guys look up on us, anyway?"

"Enough to know that you're capable. Should you and your group help us, we promise, you won't go through this alone."

Cloud sighed, "This is still hard to believe…"

Jenila rolled her eyes, tossing her chip bag on the bedside table. "Oh boy…" she stood and backed up from the bed, taking off her sweater, "Look Rae, I'll save you the trouble of asking. All right?" She was wearing the shirt from before, but as she turned around and pulled her hair over her shoulder, Cloud noticed something that the cloak she had been wearing had covered.

The back of her shirt, the upper half, was cut out, so that it revealed her shoulder blades and upper back.

The woman glanced back at him, a smirk playing at her lips. "Don't pass out on me, okay? This may be a bit of a shock…"

Her body began to glow with white light and she flexed her shoulders, arching her back as she did so. Cloud's neck hair's stood on end, and he leaned away instinctively, eyes narrowing against the glow. It hurt to look, but as before, he couldn't look away. There were only two other times when something had captivated him so much.

First was when Aeris died on the altar, and second when her ghost had come to him after Sephiroth's defeat.

White things sprouted from Jenila's back, the sound of bones crunching as whatever it was grew. The things spread and the light grew so bright, Cloud couldn't bear it anymore. He closed his eyes.

When he opened them again he was greeted with the sight of large ethereal wings, folded against Jenila's back. Stretching her arms, she sighed happily. "Ah! It feels so good to bring these babies out…"

"Well don't get used to it…I don't want to have to sweep feathers up from the floor again." Rae muttered. But the corners of her lips were twitching.

Cloud could only stare in wonderment. Jenila turned carefully around, so as not to knock the bedside lamp to the floor with her wings. Grinning smugly, she crossed her arms, "There. Now do you believe us?"

The swordsmen could only stare.

--

"It'll be hard getting the group back together."

"Yes, but if they'll help us, then it will be worth it."

"I wonder how Tifa will take this…"

"If we have to, we'll convince her, just like we did with you."

"No it's not that…its just…things haven't been the best between us."

"Oh? What's wrong?"

"…I don't really wanna talk about it."

Cloud took a deep swig of the bottle of water he was carrying, his hangover still pounding his head, but less now thanks to the mako in him. At this thought however, a dark scowl played across his face, and he took another swig of his drink.

Mako did a lot of things to him. It heightened his eyesight, it quickened his recovery time, and it boosted his stamina.

It also shortened his lifespan and lowered his sperm count.

He had found out two weeks before his wedding, from the same doctor in Mideel who had tended him when he had received mako poisoning.

"The side effects," the man had said, "Were not immediate. But you had taken such large amounts of mako in your body, that coming out of it, though you, by all means, should have died, would have taken on some kind of unpleasant long term effect no matter what. This, I'm afraid…is it."

Cloud had been stunned.

He would most likely die around his mid thirties or early forties, if not sooner. Worst of all, he wouldn't be able to produce a family before then. He had wanted to move on, to start a new life, to be normal. Now with death hanging in the not so far off distance, Cloud found himself running out of time. But the question was; what was he running out of time for? The world no longer needed a hero out of him. He was just something to be worshipped and admired, something for the media to poke and dissect at their leisure. He could produce no offspring of his own, and knowing the wishes of his wife, Tifa, he couldn't grant her that wish either.

He was useless.

But this new dilemma brought back a shadow of his former self, one who had been lost in the winds of time. The world needed to be saved again, and the fate hanging over all their heads could very well be considered twice as worse as the one Sephiroth and Meteor had offered. As the ex-leader of Avalanche, was it really his duty to go out and try and save the world a second time?

Cloud didn't really care.

He was needed again.

He would fight out of want to be useful, out of simple need to be needed, and the desire to prove himself once again to a world who now looked to him as a mere figure.

Cloud took another swig of his water bottle, letting the mako in him do the rest to take care of the toxins in his body.

Rae was walking briskly next to him, her cloak once again over her shoulders. Jenila was flanking his other side, walking just as quickly. She glanced at Cloud out of the corner of her eye and grinned.

He glared at her reproachfully. "What?" he snapped.

Jenila snickered once before quickly gaining her composure again. "Nothing." She said dismissively, looking ahead in a determined stare. But the corners of her lips were twitching.

Cloud sighed, getting irritated. "Why couldn't you guys get my shirt from that apartment?" he grumbled, his face blushing a little.

He was wearing a red t-shirt, the words "Princess" glittering on the front. He looked much too large for it.

Rae shrugged, "The place was a mess, and I would have vomited if we tried sifting through all that garbage."

Cloud pulled at his collar in disgust. "But did you guys have to give me this shirt? I'm getting stares…"

Jenila grinned again, her eyes lighting up mischievously. Cloud was distinctly reminded of Yuffie. "Relax," said the woman, placing a hand on his shoulder, "Would you have rather worn the pink shirt with the fairy on it?"

"No…"

"Then there ya go! This shirt was the best choice! It was the only one that fit anyways…"

"Fit!? This thing is strangling me!"

"If you can talk, then you're fine."

The three of them rounded a corner coming into the small plaza. The villa was not too far from here. In fact it wasn't very far at all.

The sky was painted a dark violet, the stars coming out for their nightly spectacle. Cloud began to dread having to face Tifa.

How would she take this?

How would she react?

It had already been hours since he had left home for the pub. Was it really wise to come back home, flanked by two women, wearing a skin tight t-shirt? As they turned the corner he quickly saw his answer.

A taxi was revving in front of the villa. Tifa was sitting on the steps, a stony look on her face. Cloud sped up his walk, alarm coming over him. The fighter's eyes flickered in his direction, narrowing a fraction. "What happened to you…?" she asked quietly, not moving as Cloud came near.

The swordsmen scowled, "What's going on?" he demanded pointing at the taxi.

Anger flashed briefly across her face before her expression once again turned blank. "I asked you first. I've been waiting for hours, I had to pay the taxi driver to wait."

"Wait? Wait for what?"

"To leave, Cloud."

He stared at her, flabbergasted. Mouth hanging open slightly, he felt his body go numb.

Tifa was leaving?

Her eyes snapped up, glaring at something behind him. Cloud closed his eyes. Jenila and Rae.

"Who are they?" she snapped, her eyes flashing dangerously.

Cloud rubbed his face, "Their…some people I met…"

"Really?" she sneered. Tifa stood to her feet briskly, shaking her head, "I can't believe this…" she muttered. She started for the taxi.

Cloud grabbed her arm, "Tifa, it's not what you think!"

Weak words for a desperate man.

Tifa ripped her arm away. "What am I supposed to think, Cloud!?" she screamed. The raven-haired woman looked particularly scandalized. She looked like she was about to say something when her companion nudged her hard in the ribs. Tifa gestured wildly at them, "You come home late, you're wearing a shirt that says 'princess' on it, and there are two women following you home!"

"But I have a reason!" Cloud shouted, growing angry.

Rae shook her head quickly. "Cloud, wait-!"

"What is it?" Tifa challenged, purposely cutting the woman off.

"Demons!" he hissed in a low voice, as if it were the answer to everything. Rae buried her face in her hands and Jenila rolled her eyes skyward.

"Demons." Tifa repeated flatly, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes!" Cloud growled. If she would listen, maybe she would see…

"There was this thing called a succubus-" he began, and Jenila muttered to Rae out of the corner of her mouth, "Should we stop him?"

Rae shook her head in exasperation. "It's too late…I swear, human men do the stupidest things…"

Meanwhile, Cloud had been reliving the encounter with Terra, the succubus demon, while Tifa listened with dangerous attentiveness.

"…So then these two came in-"

"And just who _are_ they?" Tifa asked curtly.

Cloud faltered. "These are…Jenila, and Rae…" he scratched his head. "Their angels." He finished lamely.

Tifa rolled her eyes. "Uh huh." She turned again. "Good bye Cloud."

He frowned, "G-Goodbye!? Tifa, I'm telling you the truth!"

"The truth!?" she shouted, whirling around. Cloud cringed at the look on her face. It was one of cold anger. "Cloud, you have never been honest with me about anything, _ever_. Since the beginning you have been nothing but a wall, anything but the husband that was supposed to love me." She grabbed Cloud's hand and squeezed it passionately, her eyes burning into his. "I can't keep doing this…How can I keep waiting for you to open yourself up to me if you won't _talk_ to me? I won't force you Cloud…But I won't wait anymore either. I can't. I just can't." She turned to the taxi, opening the door. But she stopped.

Cloud watched her with an expressionless face as she turned slightly. She looked at him with tearful eyes, "You know…I always found myself wishing, these past two years, that you would see how much I loved you…how hard it was to tell you my feelings, in the face of everything that ever happened to us…But you didn't. I found myself wishing, you would say the words 'I love you' without me having to force it out of your throat."

She turned to him completely, the tears cascading down her cheeks. She shrugged, disheartened. "Then I realized just what I was really wishing for…"

Tifa turned and quickly sat in the taxi. "…I was wishing for you to love me."

With a slam, she shut the door and the taxi drove off, Cloud staring after it with a dead gaze. Jenila and Rae stood there awkwardly, feeling ashamed to have witnessed something so personal.

None of them moved.

--

It was done.

Tifa let out a shuddering gasp as she gazed out at the passing buildings. Pain was shooting through her heart like bullets, slashing at the bloody remains and scattering the pieces on the floor for the doves to peck at. Wiping forcefully at her eyes, Tifa tried fruitlessly to steel her will.

She had to leave. It was time for her to move on.

But as she continued to gaze out the car window, a feeling akin to guilt began to bubble up inside her.

What if Cloud had been telling the truth? He never was one to come up with stories.

"Yes," said a voice in her head, "But he's also never been as cold to you as he has been recently."

Tifa thought back, "It's not like him to lie."

The voice sneered. "It's not like him to treat you like he has."

"It's not like him…"

"No, it's not like him at all…"

The taxi continued to drive on to its destination, the neon lights of dance clubs and bars playing shadows across the woman's face. Doubt was taunting at her, poking at her will, but she only closed her eyes and hummed a song in a vain attempt to keep the hampering thoughts out. Fisting her cheek, she leaned against the door, watching with disinterest as things zoomed past in a blur. Recognition waved at her mind as she began to recognize the streets they were passing.

They were almost there. They were almost at the docks. There, Tifa planned to sail away. Away from Cloud and Costa del Sol…

The taxi driver glanced into the rearview mirror, brow creasing slightly at the sight of the troubled woman. This scenario had played itself out before him many times, but watching as this exchange unfolded, he immediately knew this was different.

Most of the kids he picked up were beach brats, spoiled and ungrateful. They were careless and driven by lust and greed, the disloyalty and dislike shining like fire in their young eyes. Couples at this age, as far as he knew, never seemed to know the value or importance of love. To them, it was something they did, not felt.

But this woman held something else in her eyes.

Sincerity.

Love.

Pain.

Like an open wound, it was exposed to all through her hazelnut eyes. Meanwhile, her idiot lover could only stand making up ridiculous stories to explain himself. And when she was turning to leave, he did nothing more, only stared after her blankly.

The taxi driver glanced into the rearview mirror again. "Good for you, kid." He thought silently. He came to a stop in front of the docks. "Leaving him was the best thing you could have done. He was a lost cause anyways."

"Here we are." The driver said gruffly, bringing Tifa out of her trance.

She smiled at him weakly. "Thank you, very much." She reached into her jacket, but stopped, biting her lip. "Um…how much do I owe you?"

"11 gil."

She gave him the money. "Here you are…Thank you again for waiting. You didn't have to."

The driver shrugged, "I didn't mind."

Tifa opened the door and began to get out.

"Wait!"

She stopped and looked back at the man in confusion. "Yes?" she asked, frowning slightly.

"Here." He handed her back the extra money she had given him before, for waiting. "You can take this back. I don't need it."

She frowned. "But-"

He waved her off, "Look, forget it. You'll miss your boat!"

She smiled in sincere thanks before getting out and shutting the door. The trunk popped and she went around, taking out the large roller suitcase.

Tifa had taken only what she needed. Everything else...Cloud could burn it for all she cared.

Shutting the trunk, she moved to the sidewalk and waved as the taxi drove away. When it had turned out of sight, she turned and went to the ticket master, feeling her heart quicken.

She was really leaving.

The man in the booth looked up at her boredly. "Where to?" he asked.

Tifa blinked.

She hadn't thought _where_ she would go; she just knew she was leaving to it. Biting her lip, she thought quickly.

Junon? No, she had never enjoyed the giant city. It also harbored many memories she didn't want to relive, just like Nibleheim. Corel? No, Barret was there, and she didn't want to show up on his doorstep, only to dump all her problems on him. Rocket town? Cid and Shera were expecting a baby and with all they had to prepare for the wedding, she didn't want to interrupt that.

In fact, just about all the places she had in mind were place she didn't want to go.

Reeve was there…Nanaki was there…she didn't like that place…brought back more unwanted memories…The more she checked off, the more desperate Tifa became. Where could she go, where she wouldn't have to run into any of the others, and start a new life on her own?

Then it hit her, like a fat chocobo out of the sky.

Icicle Inn.

It was perfect. No one she knew was there; it was a nice homely town explicably absent of any painful memories. No one would find her there…not to say that she was hiding, of course. But she felt like she needed some time to herself…

And away from Cloud.

She placed her money on the counter. "One way ticket to Icicle Inn please."

A/N: A classic case of a chapter run away on itself. Yes, I'm aware that this chapter is absent of any real 'action' but ironically enough I enjoyed writing it. Mainly I guess because I'm introducing two new original characters of mine. Rae and Jenila.

These two originated from the same RP (role-play), which I started some time ago on a forum, and I've kind of grown fond of them. Rae especially. I've got a lot of funny moments with her…And if you care to know, Beatrix and the other lycans also came from an RP, and I've kind of toyed around with them in various little mini stories that I've yet to show anyone. Beatrix was one of the first characters that I've ever created for an RP, and though she isn't necessarily the same from when I first wrote her (I've toned down her randomness and eccentricities A LOT) she's still the same audaciously adorable werewolf from before. I have a whole roster filled with RP characters that I've created, and if I really wanted to, I could dump them all in this story…of course, you'd probably have a hard time keeping track of all the names, so I most likely won't be doing that.

I'll be honest with you. I have really no idea where I'm going with this story. Nothing was planned…in fact I threw Beatrix and Taerk into the first chapter on a complete whim. What I really wanted was to write a story about Yuffie, two years after Meteor, turned into a cat. That's it. I figured it would come up with some interesting scenarios and as the story begins to progress (albeit, painstakingly slowly) I'm beginning to fully realize just how much fun I could have with this.

This chapter is roughly 19 pages long. I've been trying to keep things short, but if I keep on going the way that I am, I'll end up writing 60 paged chapters like in my other fanfic, which, needless to say, was a headache and a pain in the ass to do. The minimum I wanna keep it is at least 15 pages, but I have to learn when to stop first…

On a completely different note…just how much would a taxi drive cost in the FFVII world? I have no idea, as most of the things Cloud and his team bought on his adventures weren't ordinary everyday things that normal people used to get by in the day.

Let's just screw promises, all right? I seem prone on breaking them…So if there is no action whatsoever in the next chapter, please don't mob me.

Anyways…thank you for reading. I'll update as soon as I can.

As always, please leave a review.


	6. Tempers and Plans

"I think it's becoming increasingly clear that these demons aren't just emerging from the Northern Crater anymore…in fact, they're popping up everywhere."

"Mideel is one target at extreme risk, if we don't do something, those people will be completely overrun."

"But all we've done so far is destroyed demon nests. To try and plug the source is a much larger task, and we don't have the power to do that."

"Who can we ask for help?"

"We can ask Yuffie to get her friends…"

"The girl isn't ready to confront them, she will never do it."

"If we explained to her the reasons she might…"

"She's a selfish brat, she won't do anything she doesn't want to."

"I'd appreciate it, Taerk, if you watched your tongue."

Down in the dimly lit basement of the cabin, Meridian, Taerk, Julius, Ern, and Mikau were discussing the matter of the demons. Maps were laid out on the table, various marks and arrows pointing to several places. Meridian pointed to one map, in which there was a large circle on an island. It was marked 'Mideel'.

"Mideel is much too large a matter for us, and as far as I'm concerned, no demons have been emerging there. The same goes for the Northern Crater. If the planet cannot heal itself and close the wound, how can we be expected to do such a thing?" He pointed to another map, this time it was marked 'Midgar'. "This place, however, isn't so out of our reach."

Everyone fell silent. Memories of Midgar were burning in their minds.

After a moment, Julius spoke, frowning darkly. "But what's the point of fighting these things if they'll only keep coming? We have to stop their flow!"

"But we are." Meridian said calmly.

Julius stared at him in confusion.

"Recall that reactors were built in Midgar for the soul purpose of harvesting mako energy. And as we all know, mako comes straight from the heart of the Planet, the lifestream."

Eyes lit up in understanding. Meridian continued. "Several of these were built in different sectors, some have been blown up, destroyed, or shut down." Golden eyes sweeped over the group as the man straightened. "With these abandoned pools of Mako and the city of Midgar completely deserted, it's an excellent spawning place for-"

The hanging lamp flickered and they all looked up at it in confusion. Up above they could hear Yuffie shouting…

"Just what the hell are they doing?" Taerk growled.

--

"Hah! You missed!"

"What the- hey! Dammit, you're cheating!"

"No I'm not. Werewolf, remember?"

"…Oh yeah? Well they didn't call me the Greased Lightning for nothing you know!"

Beatrix was standing on one side of the couch, pinked face and grinning. Yuffie was sitting on the other end of the couch, perched precariously on the armrest like a gargoyle. Her tail swished and she smirked playfully at the younger girl.

Beatrix stuck her tongue out and taunted her. "Pooh, pooh." She said with a wave.

Yuffie's smirk widened and she leaned forward, hunching her back as if to jump…

…And in a flash of black and red, the two ended up on the floor several feet from the couch, Beatrix pinned down by her shoulders. The catgirl grinned down at her victoriously. "How do ya like 'dem kupo nuts?"

The redhead could only blink in astonishment. Then she wheezed.

Yuffie frowned down at her. "What's wrong?"

"You…knocked the breath out of my lungs…" Beatrix coughed.

The ninja climbed off of her quickly, sitting on her rear. She looked down at the younger girl with concern. "Um…you gonna be alright? I didn't break anything did I?"

Beatrix sat up, wincing. "No…no, I'm fine." She stared at Yuffie from the corner of her eyes, "How'd you move so fast?"

Yuffie frowned at her. "What're you talking about?"

"Just now, you moved so fast! I barely had a chance to react."

"All I did was pounce on you."

"You did a lot more than that…" Beatrix muttered, rotating her shoulders.

Yuffie shrugged sheepishly, "Sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you or anything."

"Don't worry, really. But still, I wanna know how you did that. Was it something else you learned or what?"

"Look, I'm telling you, all I did was pounce! I didn't try to do anything."

"Well…you must have done it without thinking. Instinctually, y'know?"

Yuffie made a face, "Instinctually? Me?" she shook her head. "No way."

"You're a cat demon, Yuffie!" Beatrix sighed exasperatedly, "Half anyways. You really didn't think you'd be free of instincts now, did you? Not even humans can escape them."

"Well, dammit, what the hell am I supposed to do about it?"

"Nothing. They're instincts. Not something to 'do anything' about."

"Shiva, how lame. You mean I'm going to be licking myself soon, or something?"

Beatrix scowled, looking affronted. "No. You'll just be doing some things without thinking. Things programmed in you from years of generations before you."

"I wasn't born a hanyou, Beatrix."

"That word…you say it like it's a curse."

"And it isn't?"

Beatrix began to look seriously irritated now. "You should be grateful that you've been given a second chance at life! What is it with you humans and squandering things? Judging things as if something gave you a right to?"

Yuffie bristled, her face darkening. "Looking like some freakish monster thing straight from hell isn't my idea of a gift Beatrix. I would have preferred death over this."

"And yet you make no attempts to take your life."

"I want an honorable death, like my ancestors! How can I have that if I look like some kitty hybrid!?"

"You can do great things being what you are now! Power and grace is in your hands, I'm really having trouble seeing the problem in that!"

"You really don't get it do you?" Yuffie stood, angry, "I can't show my face in the world, Beatrix! People will fear and hate me! Do you even know what's that like?"

Beatrix stood as well, her face a light shade of pink, "Yes! As a matter of fact I do!"

"At least you can hide it!" Yuffie half-shouted, growing increasingly furious. "I can't change! I'm stuck like this for the rest of my unnatural life! Get it through your head already! This isn't a gift! This is a curse! I've been banished from my own race! I can never go back into human society again!"

Beatrix matched her anger without fail. "And what the hell do _they_ have to offer you that WE don't!? Are we not 'good enough' for you? What, because I'm not 'human'? Because _I _have instincts, and succumb to them, _that_ makes me a mindless monster?" 

"No!" Yuffie shouted. "That just makes you a disillusioned wannabe werewolf with a horrible Midgaran accent!"

"Wannabe werewolf!? What about you? 'Oh woe is me; I've been given ears, a tail, and _power_. Whatever shall I do? How ever will I _live_?' …As far as I'm concerned your just some stupid sappy girl a few shurikens short of a ninja. You hold no integrity, and hold no honor."

And that was all it took.

The lights flickered ominously, and Beatrix stared around in surprise. Glancing at Yuffie, she shirked, slowly stepping back.

The catgirl looked beyond furious. In fact, she looked almost murderous. "Listen to me, you broken popsicle!" she advanced slowly, eyes narrowed intensely. "When I go out into public, and people start running from me in fear because of how horrifying I look, then _maybe_ I'll consider myself lucky. You wanna know why?" Beatrix backed up into the wall, eyes wide. Her teeth were bared and she crouched slightly as if ready to fend off Yuffie any minute. Her fears weren't unfounded. The catgirl continued quietly, now at a low hiss. Her eyes were glowing slightly. "Because when they see me, they won't shoot…they won't throw rocks…they won't try to harm me in anyway. But even then, I'm still alone. Left to stare at myself in a friggin' mirror and see this freak looking back at me. And it'll tear at my heart because I won't be able to run with those people. I'm stuck in this tainted skin…and I _don't_ consider myself lucky for THAT specific reason."

The lights were flickering insanely now. Beatrix's skin prickled as Yuffie neared, the energy rolling off of the catgirl in thick waves and nearly drowning the redhead in their intensity.

The younger girl could see all the frustration and fears Yuffie had been feeling in just the short time with them. She could feel them as they entered her lungs like poison, sucking the life out of her. This wasn't just Yuffie. This was her demon side.

"Yuffie! I'm sorry, I take it back! Please! I mean it, I do!" Beatrix cried frantically, growing increasingly alarmed. The light in the kitchen burst in a shower of sparks and glass, singing the counter and floor as it all fluttered down.

The sound seemed to bring Yuffie out of it.

The lights stopped flickering almost immediately. The catgirl just stood there, breathing heavily like some angry beast, chest heaving as she tried to regain herself. Eyes once again returned to normal, she glanced around dazedly, as if just realizing where she was.

The ninja looked to Beatrix slowly, and the two locked eyes for a second before she looked away in shame. Running a clawed hand through her hair, Yuffie slowly stepped back and turned. "I'm sorry…" she mumbled.

Beatrix watched Yuffie warily as she sat heavily on the couch, burying her face in her hands. There were heavy footfalls as Meridian and the others came up from the basement.

"What's going on?" Meridian demanded, the moment he came into the living room. His eyes flew back and forth between Beatrix and Yuffie.

Beatrix waved him off, "Everything's fine, Meridian…"

He frowned at her, but the girl mouthed silently, "Just go! I can take care of this."

He hesitated, then sighed and waved the others back. "Come on, we've still got planning to do…"

Taerk looked ready to protest, but a look from Meridian silenced him. Julius and Ern looked beyond concerned, and Mikau stared intensely at Yuffie's back, his face unreadable. Reluctantly, they all shuffled out of the room.

When they left, Beatrix slowly went toward the couch, and sat carefully next to Yuffie, who didn't move. "Hey…I'm…sorry if I offended you or anything. I guess I was just being insensitive and selfish and stuff…I didn't mean the things I said, honestly." The girl bit her lip, afraid of the response she would receive.

But Yuffie just shook her head, "No, it was my fault, I was being stupid…not listenin' to you. I should have respected your feelings and stuff…I was being a jerk." Yuffie straightened, her eyes shining with tears. She wiped at them furiously. "Shiva! This is so annoying…it's like I can't keep my eyes dry anymore!"

Beatrix smiled weakly. "You'll get used to it."

Yuffie shrugged halfheartedly. "I guess I'm gonna have to sooner or later, aren't I?"

The younger girl bit her lip again. An awkward silence fell on them both. As far as they both knew, they were still getting to know each other, and after all that had already happened, it seemed there was nothing left but awkward silences.

Beatrix glanced meekly at Yuffie, who was spacing out. She watched her for a moment.

"I've noticed these past few days that you've been trying to…I dunno. Push your limits and stuff."

Yuffie came out of her trance, looking at Beatrix with a raised eyebrow. She knew the girl was leading up to something.

The redhead continued. "And I know that me and you are different," she paused crimson eyes locking onto electric blue ones, "But I think I can help you out."

Yuffie frowned curiously. "And just what do ya have in mind?"

"Two things, mainly." Beatrix said, suddenly cheerful. "I can help you with transformation and your magic powers."

"'Transformation'? My 'magic powers'? Why am I so creeped out by the fact that you know more about this than me?"

Beatrix shrugged, "I may not go on many 'big' missions, but I'm still part of this pack. And if you hang out with Meridian and Ern long enough, you tend to pick stuff up." She raised a pointed finger. "First, transformation. Remember when we told you that the cat you found was a demon in its lesser form? Well you can change into that to, if you really concentrated."

Yuffie blinked rapidly, letting out a low whistle. "Wow…you mean I can change completely into a cat?"

"Yep. But we'll have to save that for later…maybe on the full moon. It seems the best time."

Yuffie smiled wickedly, the possibilities flashing through her mind like bullets. "Jackpot! I bet I could do tons with that!"

Beatrix smiled smugly, her face saying 'I told you it wasn't as bad as you thought'. She raised a second finger, bringing the ninja out of her scheming thoughts. "Second. You're a _lightning_ cat demon, meaning you have certain powers with electricity. I'm sure if you concentrated and called forth the energy in you, you'd be able to use it. …I don't know much about that," she lamented, "But it's a theory me and Ern came up with, and we think it might work. If it doesn't, don't blame me."

"So…what? Just treat the power like materia?"

"The powers in you, so I guess if you can find the source to draw from, that'd make sense."

"Well, the only way to see-"

"Is to try." Beatrix finished. She sat back and grinned. "Go on. Try to do something."

Yuffie stared at her, scandalized. "Are you just expecting me to pull of some trick?"

"It's like you said, the only way to see-"

"Is to try. All right, all right, I'll give it a shot…"

Blushing slightly, Yuffie closed her eyes and tried her hardest to concentrate. Reaching within herself, she mentally searched for some energy source. It was weird, mainly because she usually did this without thinking, but since she didn't know what to draw her power from, she actually had to search for it.

And this was no small task.

Beatrix sat watching her silently the entire time. The minutes ticked by slowly, and eventually, she grew impatient.

"You got it yet?" she asked abruptly, as per her style.

"Wha-? No! I don't!" Yuffie snapped, annoyed at the interruption.

Beatrix sagged a little in her seat, grumbling. "Well sor-ry…"

After another moment, Yuffie cried out excitedly. "There!" she opened her eyes with a snap. They were glowing again.

Beatrix looked at her in alarm. She had been glancing around, bored, when Yuffie had cried out.

"What!? What is it?" she asked anxiously, straightening.

"This." Yuffie said with a grin.

She raised a hand, and an orb of raw electrical energy hovered over palm, glowing and buzzing.

Yuffie's eyes flashed. "Oh this is going to be fun…"

--

Meat, meat, and more meat.

This was dinner at the two-story log cabin. Every day. Yuffie found herself wanting desperately to have salad instead, despite her belief that salad was nothing more than rabbit food.

She groaned at the smell of chicken wafting through the air. "Meat…again." Her tail twitched in irritation as she played idly with an energy ball. Ern was next to her on the couch, watching her with a look of awe. "Why don't you guys ever…eat something else?" she had faltered when she noticed Ern staring at her, and stopped playing with the ball. He glanced at her in alarm and immediately began to pretend he was doing something else.

Julius, who was serving his plate, shrugged. "There isn't anything to hunt out here. Meat makes up most of our diet, so we have to keep eating it."

"And you don't eat anything else?" Yuffie cried, standing. She was getting a little creeped out with Ern staring at her…

Julius squinted one eye in uncertainty. "Uh…" he turned and called to Beatrix, who was sitting on the floor, eating cheerfully. "Hey, don't we have any cereal or candy or something?"

She turned and called back through a mouth full of food. "We got nuts! Lots of nuts!"

Julius shrugged at Yuffie again. "And there ya go."

Yuffie banged her head against a wall. "Ugh…"

--

Late night.

Yuffie was lying on her bed, staring quietly up at the ceiling. It was dark; she hadn't started up the fireplace.

That was because she was using her own light.

A single finger was held up before her, there was a glow of energy at the tip, washing her face in a pale blue light. The catgirl passed the time by tracing pictures in the shadows, watching with fleeting amusement as the pictures quickly faded away. She had been practicing with her powers ever since she first learned how to use them, and though she still couldn't do much, she was now starting to get the hang of using smaller and larger levels of energy.

On a whim, Yuffie drew a cat in the air.

She watched with mixed emotions as the image faded.

Arm growing tired, she dropped it, the light at the tip of her finger extinguishing into the darkness that was now dominant. She rolled onto her side and scowled, fisting the blankets in her hand.

Yuffie didn't know if she could do this anymore. She didn't know if she could survive life as a hanyou.

But at the same time, she liked the idea of what she could do now, the power and ability that had been handed to her, not because she had taken it, but because someone was rewarding her for her kindness. HER kindness. Sure it obviously had its disadvantages, this change, but what if it was like Beatrix said, all she had to do was get used to it.

What if everyone else just got used to it to?

Yuffie liked that idea. She liked it a lot.

There was a creak and Yuffie sat up, her ears perking up as she did so. Narrowing her eyes, she crept out of bed, her bare feet padding across the floorboards soundlessly.

Instinctually, she crouched down low and slinked forward on all fours, pressing her ears against the door cautiously. She heard the sounds of someone eating and frowned. "The heck-" she breathed, sitting back in her gargoyle-like fashion, which she was growing to do more and more.

Tail twitching, she reached up and opened the door.

Slowly it opened, and Yuffie peeked her head out into the dark living room, her pupil slits narrowing to adjust at the light that suddenly invaded her senses. Squinting, she looked to the kitchen, where the light was coming from, and saw a bouncy set of red hair.

"…Beatrix?"

The young girl jumped and swirled around, her eyes wide with surprise. She was hiding something behind her back.

She stared at Yuffie for a moment before regrouping herself. "Yuffie! What are you doing up?"

Yuffie stood and opened the door all the way, leaning against the frame. Crossing her arms, she shot back coolly, "I was about to ask you the same exact thing…"

Beatrix bit her lip and looked at the floor. Yuffie smirked in amusement as she saw the blush gracing the younger girl's cheeks.

"Oh? What dirty little secret have I stumbled upon?" She thought silently.

Beatrix looked up at her shyly. "If I tell you…will you promise to keep it a secret?"

Yuffie shrugged carelessly. "Yeah, sure."

Beatrix frowned. "Swear it on the god you worship, or I won't tell you."

Yuffie frowned to herself. Well that was no fun…of course, she could just say that she didn't worship any god, but Leviathan would most likely make certain her life became a living hell, if she did that. That is, considering, her life hadn't already been turned into one. In which case he'd just make it worse.

So Yuffie conceded to tell the truth and just swear.

At least this way she'd know what Beatrix's secret was.

"I swear on Leviathan, that I will never breath a word of your secret to anyone."

Beatrix nodded, satisfied. Bringing her hands out from behind her back, she placed whatever she had been hiding on the counter. Her blush deepened at the look on Yuffie's face.

"That's your secret?" the catgirl deadpanned, wrinkling her nose.

It was a box of doggy treats.

"Shh! Keep your voice down!" Beatrix hissed, grabbing the box and clutching it to her chest. She sighed. "Taerk and Julius would have field day's if they found out I ate these!"

"Where have you been hiding them?" Yuffie asked incredulously, approaching the counter.

Beatrix grinned sheepishly, reaching into the box. "I've been hiding them in the bottom cupboard, way in the back behind all the cleaning stuff, in a plastic bag. No one can smell them except me. I have the best nose."

She bit off a bit of a bone shaped treat and Yuffie shuddered. "Eyech! Grossness…how do you eat that stuff?"

Beatrix shrugged, "I'm not human, remember? And last time I checked, you aren't a full human either, so why don't you try one?"

"No." Yuffie said flatly, leaning away.

The younger girl popped the rest of the treat in her mouth. "Suit yourself."

Silence fell between them. It seemed to happen a lot. Yuffie surmised that was because they talked a lot, which was reasonable. A couple of years ago, she would have begged to differ, but now she was older, and knew the power of silence.

That didn't mean she used it often.

In fact, one could say it was only her last resort tactic.

Then again…lately she had been feeling like she was practically living on last resorts.

"So, I guess you can't sleep?" Beatrix asked insipidly, distracted with another treat.

Yuffie sighed and stretched. "Nah…sleep hasn't come easy lately."

Beatrix set her box of treats on the counter with a sigh of her own. "I know what you mean…"

The catgirl glanced at her curiously. "What's eating you?"

The younger girl groaned, rubbing at her face with her hands. Yuffie raised an eyebrow. Her voice muffled, Beatrix explained, still covering her face.

"My 17th birthday is next month." She said.

Yuffie stiffened at these words; her own experiences filling her head like suffocating black smoke. Her face darkened.

Beatrix leaned against the counter, eyes downcast. "This birthday marks my coming of age,"

Yuffie made a disgusted noise.

The redhead continued as if she hadn't heard it. "For a lycan girl, with no mate, and a pack of nothing but possible suitors-"

The ninja was rattled out of her thoughts. "Wh-what?"

Beatrix didn't answer; instead, she focused on the box of doggy treats. Yuffie leaned in close and asked slowly, "What do you mean by 'suitors', Beatrix?"

"What do you think I mean?" Beatrix snapped, glaring heatedly. "I'm single, and in a month I'm of age. The others are single to and are old enough to choose a mate. You put it together."

Yuffie flapped her mouth uselessly. "But-but that's-!"

"Not right? No offense, Yuffie, but you've still got a lot to learn…"

The ninja tried to say something in her defense, but she found she had nothing of worth to say. So she simply snapped her mouth shut and glared ahead in furious disbelief.

The others…were pedophiles? Would they really try to seduce Beatrix? None of it computed. It didn't seem right. Sure, she hadn't known them for a long time, but still just the idea of it seemed…wrong somehow.

"I'm really happy that you're here, Yuffie."

Yuffie looked up at Beatrix, who was looking away. The redhead whispered quietly, "The others have already been treating me different, and…I'm just glad you're here."

For a moment the catgirl said nothing. Then she nodded, slowly.

"Yeah. I'm…here."

--

"Miss?"

Tifa looked up from what she was doing. "Yes?"

"We'll be reaching the docks soon, the bus will be ready to take all passenger to Icicle Inn."

"Thank you."

The young man left, and Tifa closed the book in her lap with a sigh.

It was her new diary, something she had started while waiting for Cloud back at the villa. She figured putting her thoughts down on paper would help her deal with all the emotions she was feeling, and though it was hard to do, she found she felt a great sense of relief afterwards. So she would try to write, no matter how sensitive the topic was.

It was the only way she could get her emotions out without hurting anyone.

Putting the diary back into the suitcase, Tifa began to put away the few things she had out until the foghorn blew. Flustered, the woman hurried up to the deck of the ship.

A small shore thinned and spread out before them, giving way to the only green plain of grass on the entire Northern Continent. In the distance the haunting outline of Bone Village and the Sleeping Forest could be seen, and even further still were the jagged silhouettes of mountains reaching up into the sky.

Tifa took a deep breath as they neared the docks.

"Here I go…"

--

"We need to make a trip to Icicle Inn, before our food completely runs out."

Back at the cabin, Meridian's announcement stirred up a flurry of response.

"Who's going?"

"Can I go? Please?"

"I've already had my fill of snow. I'm staying."

"Y-you aren't going t-to make me go-go-go again are you?"

Meridian simply raised a hand, calling for silence. "Julius and I will be making the run this time, and if she wishes, Ms. Kisaragi is free to join us."

"Me?" the catgirl balked, sitting up.

"You're leaving me with Taerk and Ern?" Beatrix cried, looking alarmed.

"Mikau will be here to." Julius pointed out.

Beatrix huffed. "He doesn't count. He never talks anyways…"

Meridian explained calmly, his eyes twinkling with what seemed to be amusement. "You and Taerk left the cabin last time. Ern never wants to go out," Ern giggled nervously, "And Mikau left before you and Taerk." His eyes flickered over at Yuffie, who shrank in his gaze, "And Ms. Kisaragi needs to go shopping for her own clothes, since you could not recover any of her belongings out there in the snow when you found her. Though," and at this he smirked, "I'm sure you have more than enough clothes for the both of you."

Beatrix blushed furiously.

Yuffie rubbed her arm. "I…look I dunno if I can go out in public yet."

Julius crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. "You know, if you don't go now, you'll be stuck wearing shirts saying things like 'Cucumbers keep me warm at night'."

Yuffie blinked. "You know, maybe if I disguised myself or something…wore a hat and a big long coat…"

Beatrix glared at her and Julius.

"Hey, just what are you guys trying to say?"

--

The day was spent lounging around and talking. It had been decided that they would leave for Icicle Inn the day after tomorrow. When Yuffie asked why, Beatrix explained, and with no small amount of exasperation, "Tomorrow is the full moon, I told you that _yesterday!_"

And it was then, that the first of Yuffie's fears began to bloom.

The full moon.

Just what did those words entail? Bizarre displays of insanity? Or awe inspiring transformations? What if these people really were 'werewolves'…they certainly smelled like wolves at any rate. Sometimes, they even acted like it, though, in truth, Yuffie refused to believe it. But did her disbelief really make it untrue? Or was she just in denial? And if they really WERE werewolves…

…Then just what would Yuffie do?

-----

A/N: I finished this chapter some two days ago, but I had just only gotten a chance to type it into the computer. I'm sorry for the slow rate this story is taking. I seem to be getting sidetracked with a lot of unimportant things…and I get the feeling that the quality of my writing is beginning to drop. Is it? I don't know, I'm too close to the project to see what's wrong exactly.

If you're wondering just what a Midgaran accent sounds like (at least for this story), it would be something of a cross between British and Brooklyn. Yes, Beatrix and her friends actually have accents…why else would they say stuff like 'bloody hell?' But I also say they talk with a Brooklyn-ish accent, because at times they can sound rather 'American'. So just try to imagine it. …And don't worry if you have trouble doing so, I sometimes have trouble seeing it too.

I'm already several pages into the seventh chapter, hopefully I'll have it done soon.

Oh…and just as a side note…

Fitness exams SUCK.

Reviews are loved. Thanks much for reading.


	7. In the Moonlight

Nighttime was a time of reflection for Yuffie.  When everyone had dragged off to bed, she was left wide-awake.  The silence was filled only by her harrowing thoughts.  These thoughts contained fears and regrets, self-loathing sewing it all together with dark and gothic designs.

The majority of her fears may have been somewhat shallow or vain, but Yuffie had never really considered herself to be a deep or mature person to begin with…What she prided herself in was her honesty…

Her blunt honesty.

And right now, it was saying she was about ready to just bail and run the hell away.  From all of this.  This cabin, this world, this life...Just drop everything and disappear.  Maybe she would go to the Round Island, where Cloud had found the Knights of the Round.  That place was isolated enough.  She would be completely alone there.

Completely and absolutely alone.

Holding up a clawed hand, Yuffie examined it intensely, as if seeing it for the first time.  The claws had grown longer, and were so tough that she couldn't cut them.  The claws on her feet had grown as well, and this presented a huge problem for Yuffie, because she couldn't wear shoes.  She didn't look forward to trudging through miles of snow, barefoot.  Her feet would be numb and black with frostbite before she would even reach Icicle Inn.

But as she examined her claws, a different feeling began to swell in her chest.

By human terms, they were ugly, and a hassle to deal with.  But in a…more practical light, they were really something to admire.  Razor sharp and extremely tough, the possibilities stacked higher and higher, one on top of the other.  These were scary, sure, but when cornered in a fight, wasn't that what Yuffie wanted?  To be intimidating?

This feeling, which seemed to have come from nothing, grew at an alarming rate.

Claws gleaming in the glow of the fireplace, she curled her fingers delicately, turning her hand as she did so.  Stretching out her arm, she studied her claws at length.

An uncharacteristically fierce smile spread across her face.

Her eyes were filled with feral pride.

"What great claws I have…" Yuffie murmured in soft amusement.

--

Light came into the cabin warily, dispersing the dark shadows and causing them to scatter to the obscure corners of the rooms.  Yuffie, unaware of the innocent infiltration of morning, dozed on peacefully, something she hadn't been able to do so easily in the past few days.

She was sprawled out on the bed, in a tangle of white sheets, shoulder length hair tousled.  Mouth slightly agape, she didn't even stir as the others began to come down.

Beatrix was in the kitchen, sitting on the counter, a bag of trail mix clutched in her hand.  Ern sat on the couch, reading a magazine.

He was muttering to himself again.

Julius came slowly down the stairs, yawning and stretching.  As he came into the living room, he noticed Yuffie's absence and frowned.  The girl was usually the first one up…

"Where's Yuffie?" Julius asked, sitting down on the recliner.

Beatrix shrugged, "She hasn't gotten up yet."

"Really?  She must have been pretty tired last night then…"

"Guess so." Beatrix stuffed another handful of trail mix into her mouth when her crimson eyes landed on the back of Ern's head.  She frowned.

"Hey, Ern!  What'cha doin'?"

The man jumped slightly and turned staring at her with wide eyes.  "N-nothin'…"

She raised an eyebrow.  "That so?  Looks like your doin' something…"

"I-I'm n-n-not, really."

Beatrix hopped off the counter with a sigh and came out of the kitchen, hopping over the back of the couch and landing with a 'phwump' next to Ern.  He shirked, hiding the magazine behind him.

The redhead grinned fiercely.  "Come on Ern!  Just tell me!  Can't be that bad."

"It's nothing!" he cried in alarm, leaning away.

Beatrix pouted.  "Fine.  Don't tell me."

"Ah…leave 'im alone, Trixy." Julius sighed, giving Ern a sympathetic look.

"Yeah, leave me alone!" Ern chimed.  Beatrix glared at him menacingly and he immediately shrank back again.

"You know…your room smells like gunpowder…just what the hell are you doing in there?  You aren't doing anything you aren't supposed to, now are you?"

"T-that's none of y-your business."

"…Fine.  I _really_ don't wanna know.  It's probably something creepy and strange that'll make me twitch endlessly."

Julius groaned in aggravation.  "Beatrix, why are you always picking on Ern now, huh?"

Beatrix crossed her arms.  "Ever since the stupid bugger threw up all over my sheets."

"Aw, come on, Trixy!" Ern whined, "The dinner was horrible that night, I couldn't help it!"

Beatrix fumed.  "_I_ made dinner that night you twit!"

Julius shook his head, "You know Ern, for someone with memory like yours, I thought you woulda caught that…"

"What are you people on about now?"

Everyone turned to see Taerk, standing at the start of the hallway.

Julius shrugged with a roll of his eyes.  "Beatrix is picking on Ern, who _really_ is a tactless half-wit, because he threw up on her sheets on account of her horrible cooking."

Taerk winced at the memory.  "Yeah, I remember that… I was held up in the bathroom for ages, no thanks to her."

Beatrix slumped in her seat, her cheeks reddening.  "Will you guys quit?"

Julius smirked, "Why?  You're so much fun to pick on!"

"Figures…I have to live with you saps everyday, and I swear someone, somewhere, is getting a kick out of it…" the girl grumbled.

--

"So bored…"

Jenila was crashed on the couch, face buried in a pillow.  She let out a groan of frustration and sat up, her hair a tangled mess.  Eyes narrowed in sleep, she slowly looked around the room.

The villa was dark, the curtains still pulled shut, and the air was thick with negativity.  Jenila felt like she was being drowned in someone else's despair.  And besides the fact that the home was as messy as the succubus's apartment, there was something else wrong.  Very wrong.

"…No tortilla chips."

Standing in the kitchen, Jenila glared at everything in distaste.  "I can't believe they don't have _any_ tortilla chips!"

"Keep your voice down."

The dark haired woman turned to see Rae standing in the doorway.  The blonde opened the fridge and muttered irritably, "Cloud is still sleeping."

Jenila shrugged, "He was a fool to open his mouth when he did, and he was a fool to close his mouth when he did.  Honestly, I don't see why _we_ have to suffer for his mistakes."

"I'd thought you'd show a little more sympathy towards a man who just went through what he did."

"Nope, 'fraid not."

"Jenila, please, just do me a favor and keep your mouth shut for once?  We can't leave without Cloud, he's the only one the others will listen to."

"Are you so sure?  Can't we just get the other members?  I mean, who said we had to get ALL of them?  That 'Tifa' woman went and ran off to Crux knows where, and 'Mr. Leader' over here is probably so depressed and traumatized from yesterday that he won't ever leave that godforsaken room of his ever again.  …Come on.  Corel is just west of here.  Let's get that…uh…other guy, the one you said was there."

"You mean Mr. Wallace?"  
  
"Yeah, him.  Then after we get him, we can head to Cosmo-"

"We'll leave today."

Rae and Jenila jumped.

Cloud was standing in the doorway.

He looked cold with solemnity, his spiky hair flat on one side from sleep.  "We'll make a stop at your hotel room, so you can get whatever you want to take with you."  He turned and headed for the bathroom, leaving the two women to stare after him.

Jenila frowned.  "Who's _he_ to boss us around like that?"

Rae shrugged.  "Don't complain, at least we're not going to be sitting on our bottoms all day."

--

They left Costa del Sol quickly.

Everyone seemed on edge.

Jenila was the only one talking, however.  Rae and Cloud were silent, too consumed in their own thoughts to tell the woman to shut up.

"All I want is one chip…Just one!  Is that so much to ask?"

Neither answered her, and Jenila grew beyond irritated.  "Gods, what is it with you people?  You're so quiet!"

Still no answer.

The raven-haired girl fumed silently, finally taking the hint.

They were working their way up a hill, the town of Costa del Sol steadily growing smaller behind them as they entered the mountains.  Cloud was in the lead, knowing the trail better than either Jenila or Rae, not that there was much navigating to do.  Rae was following closely behind him, eyes narrowed in thought.  Jenila trailed behind, scowling angrily.

Cloud had his Ultima Weapon strapped to his back, and he strained under the weight, no longer accustomed to such travel.  He figured he'd get used to it, however, considering the problems they were now facing, he'd be doing this a lot more often.  And it was these thoughts that led to his reluctant determination, if such a thing exists.

This was another goal in his life that once again filled him with purpose.  But the path to this goal, he knew, would be riddled with hardships and obstacles, one them being a certain gutsy fighter by the name of Tifa.  His childhood friend, and as far as he knew, his ex-wife and lover.

Maybe…her leaving was for the best.

He had nothing to give her.  Just his crippled love and his short life.  He cared for her, loved her, but his love had never been whole.  Part of it died with Aeris.

Often he would have dreams of the ethereal flower girl, from memories long since passed and of moments that had never even happened, just fabrications of a disillusioned mind.  Her image taunted him, threatening to tear whatever was left of himself and his relationship with Tifa.  He wished he could love the fighter completely and without falter, but things didn't work out that way.  Even if Aeris were still alive, and she was his wife, he doubted he would show any more loyalty to her than to Tifa.

And that was the truth.

He was split equally down the middle between the two women.  One alive.  One dead.  It should have been an easy choice.  Ironically enough, it wasn't.  It wasn't easy at all.

Cloud only regretted not ending the relationship himself sooner.  Tifa was a beautiful woman, who deserved the best.  He had trapped her in a cage, thinking he was doing Tifa a favor.

But she didn't want favors.  She wanted his love.

And so, she freed herself of his restraints.

Cloud glanced over his shoulder at the two women following behind him.

Inwardly, he sighed.

"This…is going to be interesting." He thought.

--

"Yuffie, get up!"

"Ngh…"

"You can't sleep forever, you need to eat!"

"…Ugh!  Go 'way!!"

"I'll pour you with cold water.  Don't think I won't."

Yuffie was covering her head with a pillow, turning her back on Beatrix, who was trying her hardest to get the girl out of bed.

Needless to say, she wasn't succeeding.

Beatrix tried to pull the blankets off in vain.  "Come…on!" she grunted, pulling, "You've….been…sleeping….for hours!  This is…getting…ridiculous!" the blanket slipped from her grasp, and the young girl fell back onto her rear ungracefully.  Red in the face, she called for help.

"Taerk!"

The man appeared at the door, looking annoyed.  "What?" he snapped.

Beatrix stood, gesturing at the bed in a flustered mess.  "Help me get her out of bed!  She won't budge!"

He frowned and glanced at Yuffie's still form, eyebrow quirking.  Slowly, a wicked smile spread across his face.  "With pleasure, Beatrix." He drawled.

Rubbing his hands together, he moved to the side of the bed and, bending his knees, promptly lifted it up into the air, Yuffie spilling out onto the floor along with the blankets and pillow.  Chuckling gruffly, he set the bed back down.

The cat girl let out a yowl of surprised irritation, her eyes fluttering in confusion.  Seeing the smug look on Taerk's face, she hissed deeply.  "What the hell was that for!?" she seethed.

Taerk chuckled again as he left the room.  "Just got you out of bed was all, no need to get your whiskers in a twist."

Beatrix bit back a smile as Yuffie stood clumsily to her feet, still tangled in her sheets.

The younger girl crossed her arms.  "Since your up," Yuffie glared daggers, "Could I interest you in some food?"

Yuffie grumbled irritably.  "Do I have a choice?"

Beatrix smirked.  "Not really."

--

Sitting in a plush suite in the hotel 'Brilliantes', Tifa wondered just what it was she had gotten herself into.  Immediately upon checking in, the greasy haired clerk had been struck with awe.  Tifa asked pleadingly that he not say a word of her stay to anyone, except of course the hotel staff.  "I really don't feel like being hounded by tabloid reporters…" she had said.  Considering there weren't gangs of paparazzi camping outside her door, Tifa conceded that the man had stayed true to his word.

But the hotel staff themselves…

They seemed intent on tending to her every whim, and that meant constant badgering on their part.  Tifa looked forward to the day that she checked out of the hotel and into a nice cozy apartment.  But she needed to find a place to go before that.

She had been here only a day and so far she hadn't seen any place she could stay, or would like to stay in.  Tifa tried to reason with herself that it was only logical that she hadn't found anything yet; she had barely begun her new life.

"It's only my first day," she thought, as she sat at the end of her bed.  "I have all the time in the world to find a place of my own."

Glancing at the clock, she frowned.  It was eight o' clock.  Much too early to go to bed, but at the same time…what could she do?  Eyes flickering towards the desk, she spotted her diary and bit her lip.  Well, it wouldn't hurt…

Standing, she went and sat down at the desk, scooting the oak chair closer.  Grabbing the pen, she opened the diary.

"Dear diary-" Tifa winced as she wrote those words on the paper, feeling a faint blush rise to her face.  She felt ridiculous greeting or addressing her diary in anyway, as if it were a human being.  Wasn't that what lonely people did?  Looking guilty, she continued to write.  "-It was my first day at Icicle Inn, and I'm exhausted.  I'm staying at the hotel Brilliantes, and the staff is already driving me insane.  I would give anything to be in obscurity again.  I never had so much trouble with people recognizing my name before.  I practically had to run out of the hotel this morning; the hotel manager was smothering me with his 'hospitality'."

Tifa stopped, biting her lip.  The tip of her pen hovered idly over the paper, ready to write.  She thought back on the day, trying to think of something else to say.

Face lighting up in a grin, she began to write again.

"I walked around the streets for a while, not really having a place to go.  I recognized a few things, found some others, but nothing really caught my eye.  Then, I found this cat.  It was a small cat, not too small, but I could tell it was young, and it was black with green eyes, the tips of its ears white.  It looked strange, sitting there on the street like it was waiting for something.  When it looked up at me, we locked eyes, and I stopped.  I got this chill up my back, and when I realized what I was doing, I continued walking.  The cat followed me.

"When I stopped, he stopped.  When I moved, he moved.  He followed me all over town, and stuck with me even when I was lost.  I was getting kind of flustered with the attention it was giving me, so I gave it a piece of food from my lunch.  It was mistrusting at first, but then it finally took the morsel and from that moment on it was a lot friendlier.  It even let me pet it.

"When I got back to the hotel, not too long ago, it stopped at the doors and turned right around, going back the way we came.  I don't know why it suddenly did that.  But I guess it just didn't like the looks of the hotel.  If I could, I would have followed after it.  I didn't look forward to being bothered by the hotel manager again. 

"Today was a quiet, but interesting day.  I can't help but shake the feeling that cat was up to something somehow…"

There was a scratching at Tifa's window.  The woman jumped at the sound, and turned in surprise.  "What-?"

Her eyes widened.

The young cat from before was looking at her imploringly from outside, a single paw clawing at the glass pane.  It mewed pitifully.

Bolting to her feet, Tifa hurried to the window, swinging it open and scooping the cat into her arms.  Clutching it protectively to her breast, she carried it to her bed, the look on her face bewildered.

"What were you doing out there!?  And just how did you know what room I was in?" She set the cat on the bed, suddenly stern.

Of course, the cat didn't answer, only purred and butt its head against her hand affectionately.  Tifa went and shut the window, then turned to the cat again, placing her hands on her hips.  "You could have killed yourself out there!  Are you insane?"

The cat blinked at her.

Tifa pinched the bridge of her nose.  "Ugh…look at me, I'm talking to a cat."

The cat mewed; tail swishing from side to side.

The fighter smirked and sat on the bed next to it, petting its fur.  "I bet you must think I'm crazy, don't ya' fella'?"

The cat growled, looking offended.

Tifa wrinkled her nose and shook her head.

No…the cat just _looked_ offended.  It couldn't understand her.

But then the cat rolled over onto its back, allowing Tifa to rub its belly.  She blushed as realization hit her.

"Oh…I'm sorry.  I guess you aren't a boy…"

The cat purred in response.

--

Back at the cabin, there was celebration.

Everyone was out in the snow; Beatrix singing nameless folk songs while Julius did a jig to her music.  Taerk clapped loudly to the beat, laughing while Ern laughed along with him.  Meridian and Mikau were clapping to, smiling rare smiles.  Yuffie watched warily from the safety of the cabin, leaning on the front door.  She was mildly amused, but mainly nervous.

She could feel the change in the air.  The change in the others.

She felt distant, like she couldn't reach them now if she wanted to.

Julius pulled Meridian and Mikau into joining his dance, and soon the others followed suite.

They all looked so…free.  As the dance continued things seemed to get more intense and intimate, and their random movements turned more rhythmic and planned.  Beatrix was still singing, but she was only singing the melody, not the words.  Her eyes were closed and she swayed and pranced, looking more and more like some nymph in the snow, her pale skin glowing eerily in the face of the moonlight.  The others were getting into it as much as she was, and Yuffie realized with a start what was happening.

They were doing some kind of tribal dance. 

They circled again and again, and Yuffie could see that even though the transformation from man to beast hadn't happened physically yet, she knew their minds were already those of true wolves.

Beatrix gradually stopped singing, instead howling into the cold air like someone possessed.  The others joined her, and together they made an eerie chorus, both beautiful and frightening.

Yuffie shrank back, away from the door.  She watched the others with wide eyes, something stirring within herself.

Then she slammed the door shut.

Their howls still penetrated the walls and filled her ears, echoing over and over in her mind until she thought she would go mad.

Her breathing became labored as she hurried into the hallway and up the stairs into the second floor.  Yuffie had only been up here once, when Beatrix had showed her around.  There were four small rooms.  From closest to the stairs to farthest were Julius and Ern's room, then Taerk and Mikau's room, Meridian's room, and Beatrix's room.  It was dark, but Yuffie took comfort in this.  She didn't know why exactly, but she just felt her muscles ease up at knowing she was cloaked in shadow.  Maybe it was another 'instinct' thing, like Beatrix had told her.

The cat girl could still hear the others outside, and though it filled her with fear to think just what was going on down there…

Someone had once told her that curiosity had killed the cat.

But alternatively, she had learned that satisfaction had brought it back.

Creeping towards Beatrix's room, she turned the doorknob and slinked in.  The moonlight poured in through the window, barely lighting the dark little room.  Posters of various rock bands covered the walls, and the bed, with black satin sheets, had been lowered to the floor.  The room smelled like incense and strawberries.  The wolf scent was still very noticeable however, and coupled with the howling and shouting outside, Yuffie began to feel particularly on edge.

Tail lashing, Yuffie walked slowly towards the window, her breath catching in her throat.  She winced as she came into the moonlight.

Looking down at the others below, she felt her stomach clench as she watched them dance wildly in the snow.

They looked…primal.

They were half naked, all of them, and they jumped, yipped and twirled without tire, the cold apparently not bothering them at all.

As they shed the last of their clothing, Yuffie breathed distractedly, "They'll freeze to death…" she didn't really seem perturbed by the fact that they were now completely naked, but instead was more preoccupied with the bigger picture.  And the bigger picture was changing.

Gradually they all stopped, chests heaving and faces flushed.  Meridian looked to the moon, his hair blowing slightly in the wind.

Yuffie recalled what Beatrix had told her earlier that day, when she had forced her to eat.

"Once a month, we dance for Artemis.  Our creator." She had said as she piled food onto Yuffie's plate, "She gave us the power to be the best hunters in the world, and we give our thanks through dance.  You see we used to be humans, way back in the days of the Cetra." The ninja had raised her eyebrows at that, and Beatrix smirked. "We lived in the forests as hunters and gatherers, and we would go out into the forests in the dead of night, with wolf skins on our backs, preying on animals for food.  One night, Artemis granted our wish to be stronger, and the skins on our back became our flesh.  That night was the night of the full moon, when Artemis's face was turned completely on the world to look down on those on it.  We are her children.  She is our mother."

And so when Meridian stood to his full height, his shoulders squared as he looked up at the moon, Yuffie completely understood what was going on…and what he was going to do.

Throwing his head back, he howled loudly.  The others followed his example, and they all howled in unison.  Yuffie tensed, gritting her teeth.

Her tail was lashing violently.

The howls stopped, and without warning Meridian doubled over, clutching his head.  He turned slightly and to Yuffie's horror, she saw his face elongate, and his long, beautiful hair shorten.  His head widened, and he squeezed his eyes shut as hair began to cover his face.  The cat girl could see the bones and muscles in his body shifting and moving beneath the skin, and her legs grew weak.  She leaned against the windowsill and watched in horror as the others began to transform as well.

White fur sprouted from Meridian's graying skin, a tail sprouting from his tailbone.  He opened his eyes again, and Yuffie shivered at the golden wolf eyes that now pierced from beneath his furry brows.

His transformation was complete.

Mouth going dry, Yuffie watched as the others made the complete transformation.  Numbly, she took in all she saw.

Meridian was at least seven feet tall in his wolf form, his fur a dazzling white.  He stood on his hind legs, like a human, and he had long arms and small, human-like hands.  Though his head looked like a wolf, Yuffie registered the human qualities in his face. 

Was he smiling just now?

Beatrix was considerably shorter than Meridian, and was only about six feet tall.  Her body was much more lithe and petite compared to her companions, and her fur was a vibrant auburn shade that complimented her crimson wolf eyes. 

Ern was only slightly taller than Beatrix, and rather scruffy looking, especially around the muzzle.  His fur was a dark gray, and his ears were easily the largest of the groups.  They twisted and turned in stiff alertness.

Julius's fur was a bit different from Beatrix's, in that it was darker.  He was at least half a foot taller than Meridian, though he was slimmer, his body built more for speed and flexibility.

Taerk was about the same height as Julius, his coat a dark golden color, borderline brown.  He was the bulkiest of the group, his body large and muscular.

Mikau was Meridian's height, and had black fur.  He didn't look so aloof now, but energetic and bright eyed.  The sides of his furry face pushed up into what looked suspiciously like a smile…a fierce one that is.

They all howled in unison again, this time sounding like actual wolves.

Face glistening with sweat, Yuffie stumbled back, away from the sight.

It was too much…

The cat girl was hit with a sudden bout of nausea, and she wrenched once before letting out a groan.  She tripped on her feet and fell to the floor with a crash, crying out in pain.

The others were yipping and howling again.  She could hear them out there.

And it was driving her insane.

Gritting her teeth, Yuffie clamped her hands over her ears.  Her breathing became steadily more difficult, and she could feel the start of a headache coming on.

Something kept telling her to run away.  Telling her to hide.

Yuffie closed her eyes as the pain in her head quickly became worse, the wolf scent filling her senses like poison.

That infernal howling…

The ninja tried to fight the emotions in her.  The sudden wave of fear was overwhelming.

It wasn't her thoughts.  They were darker and held an edge to it that Yuffie could never come up with.

_"Run away.  Hide, before they find you."_

Yuffie let out a cry as pain shot straight through her head, down her spine and limbs.  Her body began to ache.

"What's…happening?" she breathed, curling into a ball.

She let out a small scream as her body began to change.  She could hear her bones crunching and twisting, feel her muscles shifting…Momentary panic coursed through her before Yuffie realized just what was happening.

And, listlessly…she gave into it.

It sped up the moment she stopped fighting it.  The pain was intense, but…it was a sweet pain.  The ninja felt a noticeably large weight being lifted off her mind, a thing she had been suppressing without even realizing it…

Yuffie was changing into a cat.

Her body gradually lessened in size, and she uncurled slightly as she shrank into her clothes.  Fur sprouted from her skin, her joints locking back into place as the transformation ended.

Yuffie purred in surprise as she stood shakily to her feet.

"I'm…my legs!" she thought with alarm.  The cat girl slipped clumsily out of the clothes that blanketed her.  Tail twitching, she tried to examine herself as best she could.  The biggest change that Yuffie could see was…

She was standing on _four paws_, not _two feet._

She was covered in a thick coat of black fur, her body in every way like a cat's.  But what was so disturbing was the frightening realization that the body she was looking down at…was her own.

Trembling, Yuffie's fur puffed up at the sound of the others outside.  Their voices were getting distant…

The cat girl darted out of the room like a bullet, thinking of only one thing.

Finding a place to hide before the others came back.

----

A/N:  And voila, the werewolf chapter is finally here.  Stuff is actually happening now, but considering what I'm planning to do, this is still just a lot of setup.  Annoying I know, but how many more times do you want me to apologize for the slow pace?  Give me a second guys, I'm on a roll here.

The next chapter is completely finished.  I've just got to type it into my computer (because I write this all down on paper first) then read it over and edit it, though, as Stratadrake knows so well, I am not very good at that.  ;;

On the issue of whether or not Yuffie would be able to sniff out the doggy treats or not…well the doggy treats were in a kind of out of the way place to begin with.  Plus with all those cleaning supplies put in there with the food way in the back, I'd doubt Yuffie would smell them at all.  As I recall, doggy treats don't have that strong a scent really, stuff like glass cleaner and bleach, however, I know can smell pretty strongly.  So even with a heightened sense of smell, I doubt Yuffie would be able to pick out the smell of treats well enough for her brain to register and acknowledge it.

And the word 'shirked'…I don't remember where I read it, but I know it means generally the same as 'wincing' or 'flinching'.

I'm a lot happier with this chapter than my last one, and the next one I especially like because it was so much fun to write (I look forward to starting chapter nine, I've got a lot of things planned…)

And if you're familiar with the Greek god, Artemis, then you'll know that she is affiliated with nature, the moon, and hunters.  It just all seemed to fit somehow.  I also took ideas from 'Blood and Chocolate', a story about werewolves by a woman whose last name is Klause…I think her first name is Marianne, or something like that. …Eh, well I gave you a title and last name, so you can look it up in a search engine or something.  I've given credit was credit was due, so there.  Nyah.

Oh, and in chapter five, there was one line that I meant to make a comment about at the end of the chapter, but forgot to (as I'm prone to do)

"Pain was shooting through her heart like bullets, slashing at the bloody remains and scattering the pieces on the floor for the doves to peck at."

A line said in a play by the great Shakespeare inspired this, said after Tifa leaves Cloud.  I don't remember the play's name, ironically enough, but I know the person who speaks it is called 'Iago' (forgive me if I spelled that wrong).  What I wrote isn't the actual line word for word, but it was inspired by it.  It went something like 'and I shall wear my heart on my sleeve, for the doves to peck at.'  Or something.

…Right.

Anyways…I want to split the lycan group up somehow.  I especially don't like the small amount of attention given to Mikau and Ern in the recent chapters.  In fact, I end up forgetting that Mikau is even part of the story.  This could result in a plot hole, so while I devise some kind of plan to get these guys separated (and therefore splitting the story among more groups) I'll be able to portray them better and have more things happening.  This will mean the story will be a little bogged down, but if I can shed some more light on the neglected, if only for a moment, then I'll be happy.

Well anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter.  I'm pretty sure I had something else to tell you, but I've most likely forgotten it, in which case, I'll, hopefully, remember to mention at the end of the next chapter, which really should be coming in soon.  Keep in mind, however, I've got finals this week.

Well…as always, thanks for reading.  Please be sure to take a second and leave a review.


	8. Faeries and Kittens

"…Is that?"

"Yeah…it is."

"It's huge!"

"It's a reactor."

"…It's creepy."

"It means we're halfway there. There's a place we can sleep not too far away, once we get there, we'll have a bit more to go before we reach North Corel."

Cloud lead the way down the steel path around the large, ominous mako reactor. The full moon cast a gothic light on the hulking giant of a factory, and it sent chills up even Cloud's spine.

"What an…evil looking thing…" Rae said breathily.

"You have no idea." Cloud muttered.

Walking on the train tracks, the three went on in a contemplative silence, the mako reactor gradually disappearing from view as they rounded the bend.

Jenila glanced at Rae, her eyes soft.

Rae had been with her since she could remember she was alive. The woman was an ice elemental, born in the snow from the holy magic of the light mages, their creators. Both of them were created for the sole purpose of war.

Something they both hated to think about.

They had been assigned as partners at a young age, and had trained together under the same teachers.

They were a team. Their peers rarely were able to speak of, or even mention the name of one of them, without mentioning the other.

Jenila and Rae. Rae and Jenila.

That was how it had always been.

They both had a lot in common, but at the same time there were very different. Arguments ranging from mild to serious often broke out between them. Other times, they would side with one another and devise plans, proving that the light mages hadn't been wrong in putting the two together. They nagged each other, protected each other, and supported each other.

Together, they made a whole.

Rae felt the weight of Jenila's gaze and met it, looking confused.

"What?" she asked softly.

Jenila blushed and looked away. "Nothing."

Rae frowned, but said nothing, returning her gaze to the path of tracks ahead. Jenila had been doing that a lot recently, and Rae was at ends as to what was wrong. She would get this look on her face…very serious looking, which wasn't like her companion at all. The thought of her expression made Rae's stomach flutter.

Heat rose to her face and she crossed her arms in discomfort.

Glowering, she tried to focus on not tripping over her own feet.

Cloud glanced back at the two women with a raised eyebrow.

Both of them were blushing, seeming determined not to look at the other. He got the feeling there was something he had missed, and at the thought of being left out, he grew irritated.

Cloud had never liked being left out of anything…that is, unless he actually didn't want to join in whatever was going on.

Trying to seem aloof, he asked stiffly, "So are you guys the only ones?"

Rae and Jenila jumped up with a start, looking guilty.

Cloud soured at this. "Well? Are you?"

Rae was the first to recover.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Are you the only ones of your kind here?"

Jenila shook her head. "No. There are some others. We were assigned different missions."

Cloud frowned, "Wouldn't your race be flooding our planet by now? I thought this was a 'serious' problem."

"We're fighting wars in other realms against millions of more demon spawn. We just found out about their entry onto this planet _recently_."

"So is more of you on the way?"

"Well, since we don't know how much they've done or even how long they've been here, we can't call for troops until everything is confirmed. If we can manage it, we'll try and destroy the demons with as little additional help as possible."

Cloud stopped and stared at her.

Jenila explained, "The angel army is only so big, we can't just request millions, or even hundreds, to come to our aid unless we _really_ need it."

The swordsmen scowled at them both. "I thought you said we wouldn't be going through this alone."

"I did say that," Rae answered calmly, "And I meant it. We've already got out own forces here on this planet, and they alone can handle more than what you would consider normal."

Jenila smirked, "Way more."

"So just trust us, Cloud, and relax a bit. We're here to help you, remember?"

Cloud stared at Rae long and hard, his jaw clenched tightly.

Eventually, he sighed, his shoulders slumping a little. "All right…all right…" he turned and continued walking. "This is still hard to believe-"

"I swear if you say that one more friggin' time, I'll kick you in the crotch." Jenila snapped.

--

Poetry and grace flew through the air to the beat of wings in the wind, led gently by the hand of speed. The rays of the sun kissed tenderly the fleeting blur that shot over the rose -painted hills and mountains. At the tip of a jagged peak, the blur stopped momentarily, wings still beating.

A two-inch faerie with pointy ears and large almond shaped eyes, quickly surveyed the area, her emerald green hair blowing into her face, much to the faeries chagrin.

But almost immediately, she zeroed in on something in the distance, her face lighting up in a victorious grin. With the speed of a diving hawk, the faerie took off, leaving a green scar of dust in the sky as she did so.

Rolling with the train tracks winding through the mountains, the she-creature quickly reached a drawbridge. Spotting the small cavern down at the shore of the river, she flew toward it, slowing down rapidly.

Inside the cave, it was dark; the sunlight barely making it passed the entrance. But the faerie could sense the auras within, and was undeterred by its seeming emptiness. She flew in like a humming bird, darting to and fro with glee.

She had found them.

"Up! Up sleepy heads!"

The walls were washed in her emerald glow, some of her light falling on four prone figures.

Rae, Jenila, Cloud, and-

"What in the hell-!?"

The miner, Larry.

The old man sat up from his cot, his eyes bulging as the faerie stopped inches from his face. She gave him a curious look.

"Ugh…what is it?"

Jenila sat up groggily, her eyes squinted in sleep. She saw the faerie, however, and her sleep promptly left her. "Aw geez…" she muttered.

Rae sat up next to her, groaning. She rubbed at her eyes before glaring up at the faerie.

"Yes?" she snapped.

The faerie cleared her throat importantly, placing a hand daintily on her chest. "My name is Noku Elsa of the Alterra tribe, and I bring an important message from Ulysses."

Cloud propped himself up on his elbows, looking drowsy.

"What's going on?" he mumbled.

"That's what I'd like to know!" the old miner cried angrily.

Cloud gaped at the faerie. "Is that-"

Rae cut him off, "What does Ulysses want? What message could he have for us?"

"Yeah, what does he want?" Jenila grumbled irritably.

Noku grinned, "Ulysses wanted me to inform you of a new development involving your mission."

When the girl didn't continue, Rae grew impatient. "Yes? What did he wish to inform us of?"

The faerie giggled and twirled, unable to contain herself. Jenila grimaced, lying back down with a flop. "I get the feeling I'm _really_ not gonna like this…"

The faerie grinned ecstatically, "He wanted me to tell you of your new partner…" she struck a pose. "Me!"

Jenila blinked rapidly. Then, she slowly covered her face with a pillow. "If some could just do me the favor of suffocating me to death…"

--

The darkness cloaked her in cold despondent warmth, giving her comfort and security in the face of her fears.

The werewolves. They were coming back into the cabin.

Hidden beneath her bed, Yuffie was huddled in a shivering mass of fur, her eyes wide as she watched five pairs of bare feet trudge past her door. The sixth pair stopped in front of it.

Beatrix.

"…Yuffie?" the girl called unsurely.

The cat girl didn't move. She began to tremble even harder.

"Yuffie…I know you're here…I can smell you."

Yuffie still didn't move. She closed her eyes and willed Beatrix to leave.

"…You transformed didn't you? Last night?" Beatrix padded closer to the bed.

Yuffie's hackles raised and without thinking, she hissed.

The girl stopped in her tracks. All that could be heard was the others up stairs as they all shuffled to bed. Beatrix took a step back. "I…"

Yuffie could hear the hurt in her voice, and the coarse, dark blanket that had veiled her mind slipped back some, enough for her to feel guilt…

…But she still didn't move.

"…You…you know we won't hurt you, Yuffie." The girl stood there awkwardly for a moment longer before turning and hurrying out the door.

After she was sure she had gone for good, Yuffie curled into a more secure ball and closed her eyes, willing the sweet numbness of sleep to come take her.

--

White sheets moved restlessly as Tifa woke, the light outside filling her hotel room. Her long brown hair was tousled and knotted. She had fallen asleep in the same clothes from yesterday, and they were wrinkled and twisted. Rubbing at her eyes, she glanced at the other side of the bed, half expecting Cloud to be there.

Sadness stabbed at her heart when she realized just what she was doing.

But before she could launch into a long spiel of depressing thoughts, the sheets moved, and a split second later the cat poked it's head out, looking drowsy. Tifa smiled halfheartedly at it, petting its head.

"Good morning. Have a nice sleep?"

The cat yawned in response.

Tifa's smile widened. "Want some breakfast?" she turned her hand, palm facing up at the ceiling. The cat placed its paw in her hand, and tail rose in interest, meowed.

Tifa nodded, grasping the cat's paw gently. "Right. Let me get ready and we'll go eat."

--

After sneaking out of the hotel with the cat hidden in her jacket (because she was certain they didn't allow animals), Tifa bought a bagel and mocha latte for herself, and a fruit tart for the cat. They were now in a park, sitting on a bench. Tifa had finished eating her bagel and was thinking silently to herself.

She watched the children playing in the playground with an unreadable expression on her face. The cat swallowed the last of it's fruit tart, sniffing the tray in hopes of finding more. When it was disappointed, it looked up at the fighter.

The wind was blowing slightly, the air bitingly cold. The skies were gray and noticeably void of any birds or aircraft. There was only the occasional hum of automobiles and the laughter of the children to fill the silence.

A tear slipped out of Tifa's eye and she wiped at it hastily.

The cat pushed at her hand with its head, purring. Tifa looked down at it in confusion.

"Don't cry." The cat seemed to say, "Look, I'm being cute!"

The cat climbed onto Tifa's lap, rolling over onto it's back, looking particularly goofy. (it was a bit big to just lie in her lap like that) Giving her a content look, it meowed.

Tifa laughed and rubbed its belly, sniffing back the rest of her tears. Her nose a light shade of pink, the woman sighed, cocking her head to one side. "You're an odd one, y'know that, right?"

The cat pawed at the zipper on Tifa's jacket, and giggling, the woman set the cat down, standing up from the bench. "Come on, let's take a look around the town again. I need to find a place to stay."

The woman turned and began walking. The cat hesitated a moment, before dashing after her.

--

"Great Alexander…does she ever shut up?"

"Quiet! She'll hear you! …You do know the real reason she's here, right?"

"Because Ulysses couldn't stand her?"

"No…well, maybe. But think about it! What's our mission?"

"To get the help of Avalanche."

"This is a really delicate task, and the bastard's just waiting for us to mess it up!"

"What a plucker! Why would he do such a thing."

"He's threatened. He knows this mission is top class, and besides, he just doesn't like us."

"He's such an arse…I swear he's got it in for me."

"Well…you _did_ shoot his ass with an arrow."

"That was _six_ years ago! I was just learning and the stupid arrow wasn't straight! It went off to the side! That was NOT my fault! …And what about you? I seem to recall a certain someone slipping Ulysses a poisonous drink in Alchemy…"

"He set a pixie after me, the stupid thing wouldn't leave me alone for a month. Besides, that drink only gave him diarrhea; at least he didn't get bite marks all over his arms and face."

Rae and Jenila were trailing after Cloud, who was being unmercifully pestered by Noku. The faerie darted to and fro, chatting on and on without any signs of stopping. She seemed particularly giddy, now that they were moving again.

Cloud, however, looked ready to snap.

Rae, seeing this, grit her teeth and came to his aid. …Albeit, reluctantly. "Noku, what other missions have you been on up till now?"

The faerie stopped her unrelenting rant, giving the blonde woman a surprised look. Apparently having someone interrupt her was enough to make her shut up…if only for a second.

"This is technically my first. I was originally assigned with a faerie squad to help Ulysses find demon nests. But then he reassigned me to you."

Jenila frowned. "Hey, wait a minute. Does he have the authority to do that?"

"Yeah," Rae sighed wearily, "He does…"

Noku flew towards Rae, and fluttered along with her as she walked. "So how many missions have you been on?"

Rae thought for a moment. "…Twenty-three so far. We started the moment we finished our training."

Noku blinked rapidly, her face shining with awe. "Whoa, you guys are top class!"

"Actually, this is our first high priority mission…"

Jenila cut in quickly, her lip curling up into a smirk. "That doesn't mean the other missions were easy though. Have you ever had to escape a raging cloud of flying reptiles in the middle of a cavernous maze?"

Rae rolled her eyes as Jenila said this.

Noku shook her head, her eyes wide. "Did you?"

"Yep."

"W-what'd you do?"

"Simple. I sprouted my wings and flew the hell out of there. I had to carry Rae in my arms." Rae glanced at her sharply, "She was heavy and kept kicking and screaming. You wouldn't believe how hard it was to navigate through those tunnels and not crash into the rocks."

Rae's face turned a healthy shade of crimson. "I did NOT kick and scream." She snapped hotly.

Cloud glanced at her in amusement. "Considering the look on your face, I'd say you did."

The blonde woman fumed silently.

Noku fluttered in Jenila's face, placing her small hands on the end of her nose. "But did you make it?" she cried, looking anxious.

Jenila waved her away in annoyance. "We're here, aren't we?" she snapped.

Cloud chuckled.

--

Progress, progress, progress.

The city of Corel seemed to chant this word over and over like a mantra, the sounds of construction and work providing the rhythm and beat.

Work. Build. Repair.

The town-gone city was a phoenix, and from its ashes of destruction homes had sprung and jobs had appeared. It had become the most sought out city, not only because of it's advances in residents and employment, but because it had become the leading supplier of energy.

The coalmines were once again in frequent use, and electrical plants had been built to accommodate to the city's drastic rise in population and demand. Oil was being pumped from the ground, adding to the wealth that had accumulated over the two-year span.

And in the center of it all was Barret Wallace.

Being the unofficial leader of this new revolution, Barret worked as hard as anyone else to give back to the town that had done so much for him, and lost so much because of him. He had turned down the position as mayor, responding to the passionate cries of disagreement with no small amount of patience.

"I'm a simple man, and all that politics n' shit goes straight over my head. I'm not cut out to be a leader, but don't get me wrong! I ain't going to sit on my ass and do nothing!"

And he certainly didn't.

With the help of others, Barret helped build parks, health care facilities, various museums, and other things for the community. He was an active participant in activities and projects, and needless to say, many people looked up to him.

One building that he helped establish was especially important to him.

The Aeris Gainsborough School for Boys and Girls, K-12.

The school in general was one large tribute to the only member of Avalanche who had died at the hands of Sephiroth, and even in death helped in his defeat. The flower girl had been loved dearly, and Barret still felt they all owed her so much.

The school was well known for its safe and nurturing environment, and beautiful gardens. It was also well known for the simple fact that Marlene went to school there.

She was already in the fifth grade and she was only eight years old.

Barret couldn't have been prouder. Of this town, of his daughter, of the changes in the world.

He would protect it all with his life. He would never allow the peace to be broken. He had earned it.

They all had.

Sitting on his living room couch, Barret was reading over a piece of paper. He frowned and glanced at Marlene who was sitting at his side.

"Field trip?" he asked gruffly, "To _Gold Saucer?_"

Marlene nodded eagerly, "Yep. We're going on break in just a week, and Mrs. Hawthorne wants to do something special."

"…But does it _hav'ta_ be Gold Saucer?"

"Daddy! Everyone's going and it's going to be fun! I've never been there and I really want to go!"

Barret sighed, scratching at his full-grown beard. "I'll think about it, Marlene…"

Marlene sighed dejectedly. "All right…"

Barret patted her head with his human hand, smiling lovingly. "Go on upstairs and get dressed. You don't wanna be late for Marcia's party."

The girl added and hopped off the couch, leaving Barret alone in the room. He stood to his feet with a grunt, muttering to himself about 'old age'.

The doorbell rang.

Barret scowled. It was early morning. Who would be bothering him now?

Lumbering toward the door, he peeked into the peephole. His eyes widened slightly at what he saw.

Opening the door, he stared.

"…Cloud?"

----

A/N: "Shirk - To avoid work or duty."

Someone hit me with a brick, I think my skull's too thick.

This is one of those filler chapters. Then again, I feel like all my chapters are filler chapters. Meh. At least finals wasn't so bad. (even though this is only the first day)

Now…about werewolves and the moon…

_"As keeper of the night, the moon has been accorded a baneful role in earthly affairs. Wolves howl at it, robbers are guided by its light, vampires and werewolves are reputed to revel in its glow. Virtually every sort of misfortune has been attributed to the moon's influence-alcoholism, suicide, murder, arson, birth defects and mental illness. (The word lunacy comes from the Latin for moon, luna)_

_Science has been enlisted to aid our understanding of the satellites force. A Duke University professor has asserted that changes in the brain's electrical activity coincide with lunar phases. Other studies connect the moon to increases in strokes and epileptic seizures. The researchers claim that drugs have greater effect, enzymes and hormones are more active, and the body's metabolism increases during the full moon. Using less formal methods, police often note that especially violent crimes often occur during periods of full moon. The nationwide murder rate, for instance, has been alleged to jump 50 percent during a full moon, while in New York City, the incidence of arson has been said to double."_

I'd give you some kind of link to where I got this, but FF.net is being a pain, so if you really want it, e-mail me at: DragonFyreG13yahoo.com

There were many ancient stories involving rituals where people would use the light of the moon to turn into werewolves. Also, the moon, as said up above, has been believed to change people, and, as you can see, has an infamous reputation. It's kind of like with vampires and Dracula. This had never really been how the legend started out, but as time went on, the media changed it to fit what they liked. The full moon was apparently something they liked, and thanks to all the new stories and films, that's what the legend has been turned into, because that is what people have come to know. That simple.

Chapter nine is in the works, but with school drawing to a close, I should be able to complete it soon.

As always, thanks for reading. Please make sure to leave a review. I live for those things y'know.


	9. Nine Lives

Hidden in the shadow beneath her bed, Yuffie focused on her breathing, trying her hardest to keep her mind blank.

…Thinking was bad.

Her ears twitched and turned, listening for any stray sounds outside her room.  Her fur was ruffled and messy, her body stiff from not moving.  Idly her tail flicked every now and then.

It was late afternoon.  The skies were a dark gray and the cabin was generally quiet.  Everyone was resting from the night before.  Everyone…except Mikau, that is.

He came down the stairs, the steps creaking with his weight.  Yuffie heard him, and she raised her head off the floor, her breath catching in her throat.

But the man didn't enter her room.  He only swept on into the kitchen, and opened the cupboards, taking out a pot.  A bag of ramen soon joined it, and Mikau set to work, making soup.

Anxious, but curious, Yuffie crept to the edge of the bed, her head nearly poking out from beneath it.

Soon, the smell of chicken soup was wafting through the air, and the cat girl's mouth began to water.  She hadn't eaten all day, just hid under the bed, too afraid to come out and pad around in her new form.  She could hear the chink of plates, and her tail immediately rose in interest.

Creeping out from her hiding place, Yuffie peeked out the door, sniffing tentatively.  Mikau was ladling the soup into a bowl.  The aroma luring the cat girl closer, she didn't think to be afraid.  She was too hungry…

When she jumped up onto the counter, Mikau neither flinched nor looked up at her.

He had already poured her a bowl of her own.

Leaning against the counter, he silently began to eat.

Yuffie watched him warily for a moment, half afraid he would suddenly jump at her, before she finally grew impatient and just began to lap at the soup.

A comfortable silence commenced between the two, both content with simply just having their meals and not ruining it with forced words.  Mikau wasn't a man to talk, and Yuffie didn't want to talk.  Sitting there, it was the first time either had really spent time together.

Glancing at Yuffie, Mikau watched as she lapped the last of the broth, some of it dribbling down her chin.  She glanced up at him, as if remembering she was supposed to be afraid.

"Done?" he asked simply.

She didn't answer right away.

Yuffie glanced down at her bowl and nodded once slowly.  "…Yeah, I'm done."

She winced at her own voice, which was higher and a bit raspy from the change her vocal chords went through.

Mikau took her plate and began to wash it along with his own.  Yuffie watched him, sitting back on her hind legs, her tail swishing side to side.

"…Despite what you're probably thinking, I'm not going to bite your head off."

The man didn't look up at her, just continued washing the plates.  Frowning, she answered, "Why would I think that?"

Mikau shrugged as he began to rinse the suds away.  "Because you keep staring at me like I'm going to…"

Yuffie licked her lips unconsciously.

He gave her a sidelong glance, "We've allowed ourselves to trust in you.  It'd be nice if you could give us that same respect."

After he finished drying the plates, he put them away calmly and walked out of the kitchen, heading back up to his room.  Yuffie stared after him, her tail lying limp across the counter.

She didn't move.

--

Like a thick sea, the shadow of night seemed to cloak the interior of the cabin, splashing dark in the corners and painting haunting images across the floors.  The moonlight was explicably absent, leaving Yuffie's room feeling cold and unwelcoming.

Sitting on her bed, the cat girl thought silently to her self, the last words Mikau had said to her echoing over and over in her mind.

She dug her claws into the sheets, suddenly feeling angry.

"Who's he to tell me anything?  The guy punched me in the head the first time I came here and has been nothing but 'Mr. Anti-social' ever since…geez, if anything, _I_ should be the one telling _him_ off!" but the anger quickly faded, and Yuffie's rant died on her lips.

Her stomach clenched with guilt and she laid herself gingerly on the bed.

She thought about Beatrix and how hurt the girl had sounded when she had hissed at her.  Then she began to think of all the time she spent with the pack of werewolves, how they had quickly accepted and trusted her.

…But then Mikau's face flashed in her mind, outlined by the glow of the moon as he began to transform into his true shape…

Friends.

Monsters.

Yuffie shut her eyes.

"This sucks…" she mumbled.

If she had a gil for every time she was un-decisive about something, she'd be filthy rich by now.  Big, emotional decisions like these weren't easy for her by any means.  If anything, they were her weakest points.  That was why she was here, now, and not back in Wutai, with her father.

No one had ever told Yuffie Kisaragi that life would be easy.

But at the same time…no one had ever told her life would be so hard.

Lasting insecurities forever embodied.

That was life.

Jumping off the bed, the cat girl padded out of her room, her tail hanging low behind her.  She was trudging through a thick sea of shadows, and as she turned into the hallway, where the darkest of the shadows lurked, she could feel a disturbance in the air, blowing softly against her fur.  Tensing, she stopped, and her ears perked up, listening…

Something sliced through the air, and Yuffie jumped back reflexively, hearing the dull thud as something hit the floor before her.  Squinting her eyes, she could see the faint outline of what looked simply to be a shadow, but it moved, it's flat head turning to look at her, and her fur stood on end as she let out a loud hiss.

The creature, whatever it was, hissed back, and it jumped at her again.  But this time, Yuffie jumped up into the air rather than back, landing on the thing's back as she came down, pinning it to the ground.  Digging her claws into its semi-transparent flesh, Yuffie tensed, and with a shout, charged a stream of electrical energy into its body.

Light washed the walls as the creature screeched, thrashing beneath her.  She hung on fiercely, sending another wave into it before leaping off its back.  She turned and watched as the thing writhed on the floor, the electrical currents running along the length of its body.  It was flat and resembled a manta ray, with a square head and a long tail.  A mouth lined with teeth flapped repeatedly like a fish, as the thing died, the light dying with it.

Lip curling, Yuffie gave a low hiss.

Upstairs, she heard Beatrix shriek in surprise.  …Or was that Ern?

"They're attacking!!  Dear Artemis, they've come to kill us all!"

Ern.  Most definitely.

Yuffie bound up the stairs, her eyes sharp and alert.  These…things could come out of nowhere, and with the dark of the cabin, the cat girl no longer took comfort in its cover.

It was a double-edged sword.  The darkness was both her most trusted friend and most despised enemy.

Pain shot through her as something smashed into her side, ramming her into the wall.  Thrashing, Yuffie shrieked and struggled to push her attacker away, but the beast didn't budge.  Straining, she turned in time to see its mouth bite down into her shoulder.

White-hot pain.  Terrible.  Unbearable.

There was a snarl and in the next instant, the creature was knocked away, a large, furry silhouette standing over it.  Raising a clenched fist, whoever it was beat it savagely, the monster screaming in anguish.  More creatures came from the shadows on the walls, hissing, and the person fought them savagely, dark blood splattering the walls as they slashed and swung wildly, blindly.  Yuffie, her breathing shallow, watched with half-closed eyes as her savior continued to fight, the onslaught of the shadow creatures seemingly endless.

Her fur was matted with blood, and there were deep gash marks on her shoulder.

Listlessly, she registered the scent of strawberries and incest and smiled weakly.

"Beatrix…"

Another tall dark figure came from Julius and Ern's room, but the cat-girl couldn't tell who was standing there, because they were in their wolf form.  They tried desperately to fend off the shadow creatures, which were now practically covering Beatrix, while at the same time trying to keep the creatures from entering the room.  Inside, she could faintly hear the sound of Ern whimpering pathetically, and she became annoyed.  "Coward," she spat, "Just sitting on his ass and doing nothing…"

At this thought, Yuffie fought to stand, but the pain was too great and her limb to weak to support her.  Every time she only fell back to the ground.

Beatrix was yelping, fighting more and more desperately.  She thrashed and growled, snapping, biting, clawing at the shadow creatures that bit and beat her.  Julius, the one who was obviously trying to help, soon became overrun himself.  Another door banged open, this time Mikau flying out, also in his wolf form.  He hit the guard railing, breaking the wood and causing it to fall back.  He slashed back at the creatures on him, and in the room he came from, Yuffie could see Taerk fighting as well.  With so many in such a confined space, it was quickly becoming clear that space was running out.

Meridian's door rattled, and he could be heard snarling inside, fighting off his own enemies.

They were being outnumbered.

Beatrix stumbled back after a particularly nasty hit, and, narrowly missing stepping on Yuffie, she crashed down the stairs, taking the shadow creatures with her.  Seeing this, the cat girl doubled her efforts, panic beginning to rise in her throat as she looked down at Beatrix's prone figure at the end of the stairs.

Was her neck broken?  Was she knocked out?  The shadow creatures, they were still there with her…

Adrenaline surged through her veins, and Yuffie felt the pain in her limb fade as a sudden fierce power rose in her.  It was a familiar feeling, one that she welcomed eagerly.

Her limit break.

Stumbling to her four paws, Yuffie's eyes glowed brightly until they were white with energy, her body also began to glow, and the walls were once again washed in her light.  Currents ran through her body and, her body stiffening, Yuffie bowed her head, tail lashing violently.  The fighting momentarily stopped as everyone looked to see her.  The shadow creatures let out ear-splitting shrieks, and they flew off in different directions in a panic.

Small body shaking, Yuffie growled, "Kisamas…."

Muscles bunching she sprang into the air and immediately everything slowed down.  Her body tingled, and Yuffie became pure energy, zapping toward a shadow creature, slicing through its body, before materializing again on it's other side.  She hit the floor and ricocheting, she sprang toward another shadow creature that was gliding through the air.

For the lycans watching, things went by much more quickly as Yuffie bounced from floor to wall to ceiling in mind-blowing high-speeds, slicing through the creatures like butter.  When most of the monsters were left on the floor, writhing, their insides practically turned into soup, the cat girl finally came to a stop, landing somewhat ungracefully on the floor again.  The energy died away as she stood panting.

Quickly following up, Julius used the left over light emanating from the dead creatures carcasses to kill the last of the wraiths that tried in vain to hide in the corners.

Limping, Yuffie slowly passed the others, who were killing off the remaining monsters, and descended down the stairs stopping at Beatrix's side.

The girl was lying in a pile of dead shadow carcasses.  She was in her lycan form, her pajamas ripped and stretched.  Nose quivering, her half-closed eyes gazed wearily up at Yuffie, who collapsed down at her side.

Still panting, she gazed back at Beatrix.

"You gonna be alright?" she asked, "They didn't break anything did they?"

Beatrix's furry face pushed up into a shaky, but fierce smile.  Slowly she shook her head.

Yuffie nodded in relief, her eyes slipping shut.  Tail flicking, she whispered, "I told you…they didn't call me the Greased Lightning for nothing."

And with that, consciousness left her.

--

Vincent Valentine crashed through the under brush, his face glistening with sweat as he ran, full tilt, through the forest.  A strange and foreign feeling was pounding in him, grabbing his heart and twisting it ruthlessly.  Seldom had he ever felt this emotion, and never again did he wish to experience it.

Fear.

Running through the dark of the forest, that was what kept him going, the stink of the feeling keeping his mind alert.  Coming to a clearing, he went along the edge, creeping slightly as if trying not to wake a sleeping child.  Eyes darting, he glanced at the trees with mistrust, his teeth bared in feral intensity.

…Had he lost them?

As if in answer to his question, there was a shout and his head snapped around in time to see a small black creature leap from the shadows.  He tensed and twisted around, raising his arms to fend the thing off, but it hit him hard, and he fell back onto the grass, the creature on top of him.

Vincent snarled, reaching up to strangle the thing's neck when it's small hands caught his wrists, and as if handling a child, it pinned him to the floor.  Eyes widening a fraction, Vincent tried to free himself, but to his horror, he found he couldn't move.  Reluctantly, he examined the creature in detail.

It had pitch-black skin with large bat like ears.  Wild, flaming orange hair blew haphazardly in the wind, falling into its large golden-yellow eyes.  Horns sprouted from its forehead, and its fangs gleamed menacingly.  The creature was only four feet high, and with a lance strapped to it's back, it looked a little ridiculous.  But now, pinned down by this devil-thing…

…Vincent found none of it amusing.

Others like it began to emerge from the trees, grinning and whooping in delight.

The creature leaned in, and hissed, its ears wiggling gleefully.

"…Found you."

----

A/N:  This was a really short chapter, but with a lot happening in it.  The last chapter was the quiet before the storm so to speak.

Vincent makes his first appearance in the story, and his situation isn't in the least bit small.  I'm going to have fun with this…oh yes I am…

Fight scenes are always a bit of a challenge to write.  Tell me whether or not this one was decent, because, of course, I wouldn't know.

Summer has been a bit of a drag so far.  Nothing real 'wow' has happened to me yet.  At the moment, I seem to have more reasons to be depressed and moody than bright and cheerful.  That was part of the reason I took longer to update.  I just didn't have it in me these past few days.

That scene with Yuffie and her limit break was my crappy attempt at putting her Greased Lightning attack in words.  Somehow, I really don't think I did the move justice…

I swear…I keep thinking I have something to say, but either I don't or I forget.

Well…anyways.  The next update will most likely be very soon.  If that isn't the case, then just remember:

I'm still alive.

Thanks for reading, please leave a review.


	10. Dawn

The wolf scent was suffocating her, grating on her nerves and filling her mind with disturbing images.  Memories of the moonlit night filled her mind and she tried in vain to block it out.  Wrapped in a soft, fuzzy blanket of warmth, she slowly came back to consciousness, her eyes fluttering open.

Yuffie's shoulder was hurting.  Her head was throbbing in pain.  Her body felt drained of energy.

The cold winds of the Northern Continent blew fiercely, whipping at her fur and causing her to squint her eyes.  She was shivering, not of cold, but fear.  The sound of feet crunching in the snow and the way the horizon bobbed up and down raised red flags in her mind.  The wolf scent had registered, and the panic shot through her, growing to alarming heights.

Feebly, she struggled against the arms that carried her, but she was too weak, and her shoulder still hurt too much.

Exhausted, she stopped.

Yuffie looked up to see a long snout hovering just over her head.  Whoever it was, looked down, and she could see emerald wolf eyes staring back at her.

Julius could feel the cat girl shivering violently against him.  Concerned, he sniffed at her tentatively, and she swatted at his nose.  With a slight yelp, he withdrew, snorting.  Growling slightly, he squeezed Yuffie, as if to say, "Relax, already.  It's me."

But she didn't relax.

At the sound of his growl, she instead, panicked.

She struggled anew, this time digging her claws into his fur and scratching at his skin.  Surprised, the lycan dropped her, and she hit the snow in an ungraceful heap, her shoulder screaming out in pain.  Breath coming in short ragged gasps, her throat rumbled with each exhale, and she bared her teeth as the snow dampened her fur.

Yuffie was purring in pain.

She tried to stand to her feet, and her body shook with the effort.  A clawed hand came down and scratched her head gently in an attempt to soothe her.  Her body tensed at the contact, and her fur puffed up a little as a hiss built up at the back of her throat.  A dark voiceless thought gripped her, its claws digging into her mind.

_They're dangerous.  Get away from them._

But she couldn't get away.

Her head hurting worse than before, Yuffie glanced sharply at the others, one by one, as she assessed her situation.

She was weak and injured, surrounded by a group of humanoid beasts _more_ than twice her size.  She was in no shape to run away, and even then, where would she go?

Everyone had stopped and was watching Yuffie carefully, waiting to see what she would do.  Though they were still in their wolf forms, they all were still wearing their pajamas, ripped and torn as they were.  Draped over their shoulders were trench coats, Ern was carrying two more, and on Taerk's back was a large bag completely stuffed with what looked like supplies.

But what caught her eye was what Meridian was carrying.

Beatrix.

She was limp, her arm dangling in the air.  Head cradled in the crook of Meridian's arm, she showed no signs of waking.

The cat girl stared, remembering the attack on the cabin and Beatrix's fall down the stairs.

_Run away._

The claws dug deeper into Yuffie's mind and she sank slowly into the snow.

_They'll kill you.  Rip you to shreds._

"I…I can't-"

_Run._

"Just…can you please-"

_RUN._

"Please change back, I can't take it."

The lycans exchanged looks.  Meridian slowly knelt down, laying Beatrix into the snow.  Staring long and hard at the cat girl…he nodded.

His fur shrank and his snout grew smaller.

The others, following his example, also began to change.

Yuffie closed her eyes, shivering as she heard the sounds of their bones crunching and twisting.

When it all stopped, she opened her eyes again.

Once again human, Meridian sat back into the snow with a sigh.  Everyone sat down into the snow as well, muttering under their breaths.  Yuffie looked around at them all, and though the scent of wolves was still in the air, it wasn't as intense.

Gradually, she began to relax.

Taerk scowled in annoyance.  "Why'd we have to change?  I was so much warmer in my fur…and dammit, now I can't feel my toes."

Julius rolled his eyes.  "Taerk shut your lip.  We're almost to Icicle Inn anyways, well within the view of humans.  Do you want to be hunted down with torches and pitchforks?"

Ern rubbed his feet, shivering.  "W-when we get t-to Icicle Inn, can…we b-buy some new shoes f-first?"

"We only have so much, Ern…" Julius sighed, "We'll need that money to find a place to stay."

Taerk snorted in disgust.  "I can't believe we didn't have the foresight to pack _shoes_ of all things…and in the middle of a tundra no less!"

"For the love of the moon, can you _never_ stop griping?"

"You can't tell me you're looking _forward_ to romping through the snow _barefoot?_"

"No, of course not you twit.  But as I recall, _you_ were there _with_ me when I was packing that bag!"

Taerk turned a deep shade of crimson.

Yuffie listened to their banter silently, repeating to herself over and over that the others wouldn't hurt her.  She could still feel the black shadows in the back of her mind, moving restlessly.  They still didn't trust the lycans, even in their human forms.

Ern glanced at Beatrix.  "H-how are we g-g-going to wake her up?"

Meridian thought for a moment.  "We could put snow on her, then maybe the water and cold will wake her.  But I don't want to make her sick…"

"She's already in the snow, so what difference is it going to make if you rub some snow into her cheeks?  We can't go into town with her like that.  There'd be a panic."

Meridian sighed.

Scooping up a handful of snow, he pressed it to the side of Beatrix's face, working it into the fur. "C'mon, pup…" he breathed.

The lycan girl didn't respond.

Her fur was mussed and in some places matted with her own blood.  The others had suffered injuries as well, but being the only one to fall down a set of stairs onto a pile of broken wood after being ruthlessly attacked by a cloud of semi-invisible monsters, Beatrix was obviously the worse for wear out of all of them.

Meridian scooped up another handful, a bigger one this time, and pressed it more insistently to Beatrix's face.

After a brief moment, the girl began to stir.

Crimson wolf eyes opening drearily, the lycan girl whined from the back of her throat, moving her head away from Meridian's hand.  Rubbing at the wet fur with a clawed hand, she groaned, taking a moment to give Meridian a menacing glare.

Stroking the fur on her neck, the man murmured her name.  "Beatrix…"

Beatrix tried to move, only to whimper in pain as she rolled onto her side.

Still stroking her fur, Meridian spoke slowly to her, trying his best to be soothing.  "Beatrix, we're almost to Icicle Inn now.  If you can change back, we can find a place a stay and we'll be able to tend to your wounds.  We'll only be able to do that if you change…do you hear?"

She didn't respond.

Instead, she squeezed her eyes shut and grit her teeth.  Snout shrinking, she began to change, her fur lessening, and her body returning to its normal size.  As the change went on, Beatrix cried sharply, tears streaming out of the corners of her eyes as her bones snapped back into place.  When the transformation was complete, Beatrix was once again lying on her back, her chest heaving with the effort of making the change from wolf to human again.  She looked eerie; lying there, pale as she was in the snow, with her hair framing her pain-reddened face.

Meridian pulled her to him gently, kissing the top of her head.  "Very good, Beatrix.  Don't worry, we'll rest for a minute before we start walking again."

Yuffie shifted slightly as Beatrix managed to lock eyes with her.  She was glad to see the younger girl back in her human form.  It was easier for her to handle.

The cat girl's ear twisted to catch Ern, muttering under his breath again.  She glanced at him with lidded eyes her purr now greatly dulled down.  The snow numbed the ache in her shoulder, and even if her fur was wet and she was freezing cold, at least, she thought, she didn't hurt anymore.

Frowning, she watched Ern mutter and glance at Meridian and Beatrix occasionally.  There was a soft scowl on his face, and with each glance in the two's direction, it darkened.

Eyes flickering over to Julius, she found that he too, was acting strangely.  Silent and sitting rock still, he watched Meridian and Beatrix intensely, his emerald eyes narrowed a fraction.

Confused, Yuffie twisted her head around to look at Taerk, and was surprised to see him acting the same way.

Silently she wondered, "What's wrong with them?"

Then she remembered.

"For a lycan girl, with no mate and a pack of nothing but possible suitors…" 

"…It all spells trouble." Yuffie breathed, eyes lighting up in understanding.

They all glanced at her, and she shook her head.  "Sorry, I was just thinking to myself…" glancing at Beatrix, she cleared her throat, "Think we can start moving again?  We'll freeze if we stay in the cold any longer."

Meridian frowned, looking at her sharply.  "Beatrix is hurt, and so are you.  There's no need to rush.  The town isn't far off, so we can spare a few minutes."

Tail twitching, Yuffie glared at him.  "The earlier we get to town, the better.  You don't want to attract attention, do you?" Silently Yuffie added, "I thought you were better than this, Meridian.  But apparently your pervy desires are blinding you…all of you."

Taerk stood, "I can carry Beatrix, Meridian.  Give you a break."

Julius stood quickly as well, "No, you're carrying the bag.  I can carry Beatrix, and Meridian can carry Yuffie."

Ern stood clumsily, opening his mouth to say something.  When Meridian glared at him, he shut it with a snap.  Angered at having the others agree with Yuffie, Meridian stubbornly scooped Beatrix up into his arms, ignoring the young girl's protests.

"I can walk on my own, Meridian!  Put me down!" she cried.

"_I'll_ carry her just fine." Meridian said firmly, "Yuffie's…right.  We need to get to town right away."

The three men soured visibly, but said nothing.  Julius, scowling, picked Yuffie up from the ground and together they once again began to move.

Satisfied with the change, Yuffie settled into the man's arms, finding it easier to ignore the wolf scent now that he was in his human form.  His cheap smelling cologne helped some too.  If she could somehow ignore the smell…then the shadows wouldn't dig it's claws into her mind again, and she could think clearly.

But being held by Julius who, no matter how much she tried to get around it, still smelled like a wolf, made the shadows even more anxious.  Yuffie was trying her hardest to keep them back down where they were, and it was getting a little more than agitating.  Quickly, she tried to come up with something good to distract herself with…

That's when it hit her.

"…That was the first time Meridian called me by my name!"

--

The cat padded along the ledge of Tifa's window, the woman inside still asleep and unaware of her companion's departure.

Looking back at the window, the cat pondered for a moment going back, before remembering she was already in enough trouble as it was.  Sadly, she turned and continued the perilous walk along the narrow ledge.

When she came to the corner, she looked down at the building next.

The drop from the ledge to the buildings roof was at least three floors.

Without hesitation, the cat jumped…

…And landed gracefully on the rooftop below.

Trotting briskly, the cat climbed onto the fire escape and began making her way down into the dark of the alley.

It was still early morning, the sun barely peeking over the horizon.  The town was asleep, the only real activity coming from the main road, which was still trafficking passengers to and from the port.  Sitting, drunk, next to a pile of trash, was a bum, muttering incoherently.

A groan could be heard from the shadows of the alley, and the man looked up, squinting slightly as he tried to see what was there.  The sound of something crunching brought the man upright, eyes widening a bit as he leaned forward, trying to see.  "Who's 'err?" he grunted.

The sound stopped and silence followed, making the bum uneasy.  He glanced around quickly and, spotting an empty beer bottle, grabbed it and tried to stand.  "Ye' lookin' for trouble?" he slurred, brandishing the bottle, "Come 'an out, ya' yeller bellied-"

A young girl, nearly half the man's size emerged from the shadows, completely naked.  The man stopped mid-sentence, blinking stupidly.  She was very thin and petite, with short violet-black hair and long white bangs that went past her chin, framing her face.  After getting over the initial shock of just seeing the girl as she was, the bum then noticed other things about her.

Like for instance, the fuzzy cat ears on her head, and the fact that her eyes didn't look human.

He shook his head in attempt to clear it, "The heck-?"

Without warning, the girl charged at him, and the bum, surprised, only raised an arm up to shield himself.  The girl tackled him hard, digging her shoulder into his gut.  The breath was knocked out of the man's lungs as he fell to the ground, his head hitting a particularly large rock.  The girl climbed onto his chest, her teeth bared, when she noticed something was wrong.  His eyes had glassed over and his face was stuck in that of fearful surprise, his arms and legs twitching.  Frowning, the girl rapped the man on the forehead experimentally.

Then she saw the blood pooling onto the cement and she grimaced, realizing the man must have hit his head on something.  Biting her lip, she shrugged.

She hadn't meant to kill the man.  But at the same time, she really hadn't done it, now had she?  So all was well.

Tugging at the man's trench coat, the girl cocked her head to one side, raising a thin eyebrow.

The coat smelled badly.

But…well…he wouldn't be _using_ it…

--

"They got away!?"

Standing, furious, Kelson spat at the floor, the shadow wraith cowering in the corner of his room.  He was beyond angry.  Beyond furious.  This wasn't supposed to have happened.  The shadow wraiths were to kill the lycans in their sleep, not be annihilated trying.  Cat ears flattened against his head, Kelson regarded the creature with distaste.  Cracking his knuckles, he paced back and forth, gritting his teeth.  After several deep breaths, he calmed himself again.  Running a hand through his black hair, he glowered at the shadow wraith, his body outlined by the dim light of the lanterns behind him.  "And just what the hell happened over there that allowed this?" he snapped curtly, trying to keep himself calm.

The shadow wraith answered reluctantly, hissing, "There was another with them.  Very powerful…"

Kelson crossed his arms.  "And?"

"And…" the shadow wraith hesitated. "…She was a half-breed, sir.  A lightning cat demon..."

The man stared.  Another cat demon?  But…that was impossible.  The only cat demons here were he, Xia, and Terrick.  And only him and Terrick had the power of lightning in their hands…

Snarling, the man swept down and grabbed the shadow wraith by the tail, lifting it up in the air.  "You're lying!" he spat, golden eyes narrowing.

The creature writhed, shrieking.  "Not lying, master!  Not lying!"

Kelson shook the creature, "Tell me the truth you piece of filth!  What really happened over there?"

"I am telling the truth, I swears it!  The half-breed almost completely wiped us out with one attack!  I only just got away!  Please, don't kill me!"

Kelson thought for a moment.  Terrick had gone missing ever since he had gone searching for the Chocobo Sage.  That had been more than a week ago, and they hadn't heard from him since.  Xia hadn't come back from her rounds in three days.  Just what was going on?

Releasing the wraith, Kelson crossed his arms again.  "What did this half-breed look like?"

The shadow wraith huddled in the corner again, panting slightly.  "She was a girl…" it hissed.

Kelson rolled his eyes.  "Yes, I got that much.  What else?"

"Well…she was in her cat form, sir.  I didn't get much on appearance.  She looked just like an ordinary cat."

The man scowled at the wraith, his tail twitching in aggravation.

Then, in a flash, Kelson was kneeling on the floor, a three-inch claw impaling the wraith's head.  The creature wasn't given time to react.  Pulling his claw out of its head, the claw retracted back to its normal length and the man stood, turning away from the twitching corpse in disgust.  "Worthless creatures…" he muttered.

He rubbed at his face tiredly, his tail lashing in frustration.

Shoving his hands into his pockets, Kelson closed his eyes and assessed everything.

So there was another cat demon running around, and she was allying with the enemy.  Where was Terrick?  Where was Xia?  He still had received no word from Elmiryn regarding her search for Vincent Valentine.  The same went with Belial.  If things continued to carry on the way they were, he was sure he would go mad.

Dully he glanced around his room.

Originally it had been an office, but with a little decorating, he had also made it his bedroom.  Opposite of the door was his large oak bed, the bedposts supporting the large royal red canopy that hung down over the mattress.  On the left side of the room (when looking towards the door) was his desk, which was covered in parchment and various runes.  To the right of the door was his window, closed by the blinds.  This had been his home for more than a year now…inside this warehouse, up on the second floor.

Down on the first floor was where the necromancers slept.

Speaking of necromancers…Kelson would have to punish the one who suggested those shadow wraiths…

Moving towards the window, he raised the blinds with a snap, glowering down at them all.

It was at this moment that he spotted a small figure making its way through the mass.  The man's lip curled.

"Xia…"

As if sensing his gaze, 'Xia' looked up and met it, slowing to a stop.  Kelson mouthed the words, "Get up here, _now_." Before dropping the blinds.

The girl closed her eyes and sighed.  After all that trouble she had gone through with that bum in the alley and returning unnoticed by the humans, she had hoped to get by without having to deal with Kelson…of course she knew she would have had to deal with him at some point, but still…

Slipping past the necromancers, she worked her way across the warehouse to the far side, in the darkest corner.  There, a mattress was laid out, covered in a pile of blankets.  Next to it was a large wooden chest.  Kneeling down next to the chest, she opened it and began to rummage through the various clothes and junk inside.  She was looking for something nicer to wear, because she knew if she went up as she was, Kelson would only send her back to change.

Pulling out a pair of light purple cotton pants and a large plum long sleeved shirt, Xia began to change, unbuttoning the trench coat quickly.  She didn't bother to try and find a more private spot, or cover herself in any way.  She knew the necromancers wouldn't look, and it really didn't matter to her if they did.  She was young, but she was growing into a beautiful woman, something she was well aware of.

…Something Kelson was, also, well aware of.

Slipping the large shirt over her head, Xia dived back into the chest digging out a small bottle of body spray.  The stench on that trench coat was strong, but Xia didn't trust it to be strong enough to cover the scent that had rubbed onto her body over the past few days.  Spraying the bottle all over her, she quickly tossed it back into the chest and shut it with a snap, blowing a lock of hair out of her face.

If she had a choice, she wouldn't go up those stairs at all.  She wouldn't even be in this warehouse.  She would be off somewhere else, having fun, with no one to judge her and give her commands.

But she didn't have a choice.

Kelson wanted her in his room, and she couldn't even afford to move slowly.

He was mad enough with her as it was.

Moving up the stairs quickly, Xia reached the second floor, swallowing hard.  It was common knowledge that the cat demon was a sadist.  Though he never raped her, he had made it clear in the past that he didn't need to in order to get his satisfaction.

Stomach clenching, she opened his door and slipped inside, bowing her head so that her hair shielded her face.

Kelson was standing with his back towards her, hands in his pockets.  His tail was swaying from side to side, occasionally brushing against his black slacks.  He was wearing his favorite black designer shirt, the sleeves rolled up in their usual fashion.  Kelson always wore black, designer clothes.

It got on Xia's nerves.

When he spoke, his voice was expressionless.  The cat girl tensed at this, not liking the lack of emotion.  "Where have you been?" he asked quietly, still not turning around.

Xia shrugged, trying to seem casual.  "Nowhere." She said.

At this Kelson turned slightly, his eyes dark with suppressed anger.  "Xia."  Now his voice held warning.

Xia sighed, "Was doing job…" she raised her head, pursing her lips, "Nothing more."

Kelson growled and in a split second Xia was held up by her throat, his claws digging into her skin.  "I don't like liars, Xia!" he seethed, tightening his grip as she began to struggle.

"Okay!" she gurgled, trying to pry his hand away from her throat, "Okay, I tell!  I tell!"

He dropped her to the floor, and she coughed, face going pink.  Rubbing her neck, she rasped, "Was playing…not doing job…"

Kelson stared down at her for a long time.  Then his face broke into an amused smirk; "You got distracted with food again haven't you?"

Xia liked a lot of things.  One thing she loved above all else, however, was food.

Playing along, she nodded, trying to seem sheepish.  "Humans make good pastries."

Shaking his head, Kelson crouched down and ruffled Xia's hair.  She glared at him resentfully and tried to straighten it again.  At least he still wasn't mad.  Kelson thought she was an air headed kitten, and forgave her quickly for things he thought cute.  It was when he didn't forgive her that she became scared.  As long as he thought she was being cute, she didn't have to worry.

Still smirking, Kelson caressed her face with one hand.  Xia resisted the urge to flinch away, and looked up at him carefully.  Another thing that bothered her was how quickly Kelson was to get angry and how quick he was to cool down.  He was the most temperamental person she had ever known.

She made a point not to be like that.

…Or at least she thought she did.

"That mattress of yours is all lumpy and flat." Kelson breathed, tilting her face up a little more.  "Sleep up here with me instead.  I'm sure with you at my side I'll be able to rest better."

Xia didn't have a choice.  She nodded her head stiffly.

But she was comforted with one single thought.

…Kelson couldn't smell the Tifa woman.

----

A/N: Right, so here we are again.  Another chapter finished.  But you know, this chapter was actually going to be a lot longer, but then I decided this could stand on its own just fine.  Originally chapter ten was going to be roughly thirty pages, which I couldn't have.  But hey, if you don't think this chapter stands well on it's own, relax, the other chapter is up too.

Hurray, yet ANOTHER original character is added to the mix.  I seriously need to get the actually FF characters more involved here…But at any rate, Xia is another character come straight from my roster of RP leftovers.  She's one of my favorites, simply because of how she is.  In fact, I think she is my absolute favorite.  The girl is just so cool to write.

"Yuffie was purring in pain."

Cats don't just purr in pleasure.  Cats purr in pain too.  When a cat's giving birth, you can hear it purring, not because it's enjoying itself, but because it's in pain.  But cats purr for many different reasons.  Like for instance, my cat purrs when it's surprised.  It's really very funny. 

Another thing: when a cat is anxious, confused, or irritated, they'll lick their lips.  Something my cat does every time we kick him out of our beds.  So when you see those cat food commercials where the cat licks its lips, it isn't because it thinks the food is good.  It's because something irritated the hell out of him.  Yep.

And I'm trying my best to portray Yuffie's struggle with her 'animal' side and her feelings towards the lycans, so if things get muddled…well…

Dammit, they get muddled.

All righty.  I recently saw Triplets of Belleville, and I think it's safe to say its now one of my most favorite movies. (next to Snatch, Basic, Return of the King, and Identity)  This just goes to show you that sometimes you don't need dialogue to get your story across.

Stephen King's 'It' was another movie I saw.  I thought the dialogue was a little lame, but the movie was still creepy, and I like how they used the whole 'balloon' thing throughout the movie.  There was only one part that I really got freaked out at…the part with Georgie and the gutter.  MAN I hated that part…

Okay, I'll stop with the irrelevant chatter.  Go read the next chapter you boobs. (Oh, I'm just kiddin' with ya)

Thanks for reading.  I'd appreciate it if you left a review.


	11. The Pale Ghosts of Past

The light filling the hotel room rapped smartly on Tifa's eyelids, rousing her from her sleep.  Eyes easing open, she stared ahead for a moment before slowly sitting up.  She could hear the noise from the streets below as the early morning commuters began to make their way to work.  The sound of birds chirping, the sound of cars driving by…

The woman frowned.

Wait…where was this noise coming from?

Then, when a cold breeze caressed her skin, she realized with a start that the window was open.  Frazzled, she stood and hurried over, shutting the window with a snap.

"Now how did-" she stopped when a thought occurred to her.  Glancing around quickly, she searched for any signs of the cat.

"…Cat?" she pulled the covers off the bed, only to find it empty.

Tifa's face fell.  The cat had gone…

"Well…" she said as she reluctantly went to the bathroom, "It wasn't like the cat _belonged_ to me or anything…"

But a heavy feeling settled on her chest.

She scowled at her reflection in the mirror.  "It's just a _cat!_  I'll live!  Really, I don't know how I allowed myself to get so clingy…"

Words meant to cheer her self up, only managed to make her feel worse.

She moved sluggishly all throughout the morning, the enthusiasm zapped from her body.  If she could get so depressed over a cat, how was she to expect to make it on her own?  Darkly, she wondered just what the point was to everything.  Should Tifa set foot out that door, it wouldn't be just the hotel manager that would harass her, it would be the world.  It seemed to frown down on her attempts at a new life.  It seemed to frown down on her always.

Dressed in a casual white sweater and jeans, Tifa left the hotel room, eyes glued onto the carpet.

As she passed the reception desk, down on the first floor, a small portly man with thinning hair spotted her from across the room.  Hurrying over, he flashed a fake smile.  "Ms. Lockheart!"

Tifa continued walking, her lips thinning into a straight line.  She was growing weary of the man's constant pestering.  Wasn't there ever going to be a day where he would just leave her alone?

"Ms. Lockheart!"

Well…apparently he couldn't take a hint.

Slowing to a stop, Tifa looked out the glass doors longingly, wishing she were with the people outside.

She frowned, and took a step closer.

There certainly were a lot of people out today…was something going on?

"Ms. Lockheart!"

Inwardly, the woman sighed.  She turned and greeted the greasy manager with a false smile to match his own.  "Hello Mr. Marten."

"Ah…I hope everything is in order, miss…" he wheezed as he stumbled to her side.  Apparently jogging the short distance he did took a strong toll on his chubby little body.

Tifa nodded wearily.  "Yes Mr. Marten, everything's fine."

He placed a hand on his chest in an attempt to regroup himself.  "That's…that's very good.  I was worried."

She frowned at him, "Why would you be?"

Mr. Marten took out a handkerchief from his inside coat pocket and began to dab at his brow, "Oh, so terrible…"

Tifa's interest peaked.  Frown deepening; she crossed her arms, "Mr. Marten, what's going on?  And why's there so many people outside?  Did something happen?"

He shook his head, looking solemn, "A body was found in the alley next to us…just some nameless bum.  Probably just toppled over in a drunken stupor and hit his head on a rock." Shaking his head again, he added under his breath, "All this fuss isn't good for business…"

Tifa heard him and felt insulted.  Scowling, she nodded to him curtly.  "Thank you for telling me Mr. Marten.  Now if you'll excuse me…"

Turning on her heel, she left the hotel manager where he stood, charging through the doors and passing the growing crowd of onlookers as quickly as she could.

An uneasy feeling began to grip her as she passed the alley, and she had to resist trying to look.

She crossed her arms and hunched her shoulders, eyes once again focused on the passing ground.  She wasn't sure why she felt so disturbed, things like this happened all the time over in Costa del Sol.  …Maybe it was that it happened so close to where she was staying.  Back in Costa, all those things she heard on the news.  Not from neighbors or passerby.  Hearing it from the hotel manager that way and seeing all those people gather around as if anticipating a good freak show must have made it all too real for her.

Death had never been something she took lightly.  But when traveling with Avalanche, she had somehow prepared herself for the worse.  After all, they had been risking their lives.  Then it had been always a possibility.  After the deaths of Aeris, Biggs, Wedge, and Jessie, she had come to understand that.  But with the peace that had come with the defeat of Sephiroth, she had quickly been lulled into a false sense of security.  Death wasn't just around the corner anymore.  No.

It was hiding in the shadows, hiding in the closets, the cars, the buildings, the people.

Death was no longer something predictable.  It was something that could jump out when she least expected it.  But until it did, there was only its absence in its place.  And with its absence came her forget.

Tifa had forgotten to take care in everything she did.  She didn't wear armor anymore, and she hadn't fought or trained in ages.  As far as she was concerned, there was no longer a need.

At least that was what she wanted to believe.

Absently she stopped in her tracks, and slowly she looked up at the building she was standing in front of.

The sign read 'Bakery'.

This was where she had been getting breakfast ever since she got here.  It was a quaint little shop, with a window display, showing large cakes.

Pushing open the oak door, Tifa went inside.

A young female clerk with long blonde hair smiled at her, "Hello, again.  Would you like the usual?"

Tifa smiled softly and nodded.

As the clerk busied herself with Tifa's food, she looked at her reflection in the glass display, than focused on the street behind her.  Two figures went by, one taller than the other.  They were both wearing trench coats, hoods covering their heads.  From what Tifa could see, they were both girls.  Something clicked in her mind when she saw the taller one go by and she craned her neck to see her face.  But before she could get a good look, the girls had gone.

Pouting, Tifa looked up in time to see the clerk ring up her order.  She didn't bother waiting for the girl to tell her the price; she already knew how much she needed to pay.  But as she reached into her pocket, her hand touched nothing and her face fell.  "Oh no…" she groaned, looking crestfallen.  "I haven't got any money with me!"  Tifa looked at the clerk apologetically, "I'm really sorry, but do you think you can wait a second?  I'm just going to go get some money and then I'll come back!"

The clerk nodded, "I can wait."

Tifa smiled her thanks as she hurried out the door. 

Walking at a brisk pace, she hooked her thumbs in her back pockets.  She didn't want to return to the hotel, so she decided she would go to the bank instead.  Thanks to her 'exploring' she had found an IBS not too far away.

The letters "IBS" stood for "Intercontinental Banking System", which had been started by Reeve several months after Meteor.  Originally, Shinra had controlled the only bank in the world (all others, they ran out of business), but with their fall, there was no one to run it, and so it all fell apart.  Eager to redeem himself of his affiliation with Shinra, Reeve had picked up the pieces and made a newer, better, faster system for people to use.  At first people didn't trust it, simply because Reeve had once worked for Shinra, but all the members of Avalanche showed their support by opening accounts of their own.  Barret had conceded only from coaxing by Tifa and all the practical reasons she had laid on him when he had started his work back in Corel.  It was no secret that Barret wasn't fond of Reeve, and it certainly wasn't a secret as to why, which was another reason there were still some that didn't trust the IBS.

Tifa rounded the corner and the building opened itself to her, looking new and sleek.  It was two floors high with marble pillars and large shaded windows that seemed to scream the words "executive business establishment".  Sheepishly, she realized why some people still wouldn't trust it.

Entering the building, the woman was immediately greeted with the smell of ink and paper, which she had always hated for multiple reasons.  There was a low murmur of chatter in the place, joined occasionally by a ringing phone.  Spying the ATM's on the far wall, Tifa hurried toward them, feeling pressed for time.  There was still breakfast to buy after all, and she was hungry.

Pulling out her card, she slipped it into the slot, grumbling to herself.  "It's a wonder I remembered to bring this stupid thing and not some actual cash."

Punching in her pin number and the amount of money she wanted, Tifa waited for the machine to process the information, shifting her wait to her right foot and tapping the other.  She would have to call Reeve one of these days and explain to him how his system wasn't as fast as he boasted it was.

"Oh man…"

"I thought you said you didn't have a lot of money!"

"I did!  But I spent a lot of it!"

"Artemis, you're a gillionaire!!"

"Hey, you just remember, I'm doing this out of the kindness of my heart, okay!?"

Glancing out of the corner of her eye, Tifa saw the two girls from before, sitting at a desk, the clerk staring alternatively between the two of them.  As inconspicuously as she could, she tried to get a look at their faces, but was disappointed when she couldn't get a good view.  The machine beeped and the gil came out.  Flustered, Tifa took the money, feeling foolish.

"What am I doing?" she muttered.

But that girl's voice…she had heard it somewhere before.

Awkwardly, she approached them from the side, reaching out a shaky hand.

She had to see…one tap on the shoulder was all she needed, just enough for the girl to turn and look at her.  If she were wrong, she'd just apologize and leave.  There was still breakfast to get after all…

"Um…" As Tifa neared, the smaller girl looked up at her.  Turning to see what she was she was looking at, the taller girl turned as well, and Tifa stopped.

She blushed.  "I-I'm sorry.  I thought you were someone else…"

Embarrassed she turned and hurried for the exit.

"I feel so stupid…"

--

"I've sent some underlings to check the cabin, but I'm sure the lycans have fled Icicle Inn.  I want you to keep a look out.  Personally I would rather you stay here, but you're the best I have at the moment, since Ultera isn't here. …Xia are you even listening?"

She wasn't.

Sitting on the edge of Kelson's bed, she flicked absently at a piece of lint, watching with disinterest as it drifted through the air.

Kelson glared at her, propping himself up onto his elbows.  "Xia."

She turned and looked at him boredly.

Sighing, he pulled her to him, "Listen to me, then you can go."

Xia pulled away from him and crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow smartly.  "Alright," she seemed to say, "I'm listening."

Kelson soured at her look, but continued regardless.  "The lycans should be in town.  I want you to keep a look out for them, all right?  But if you see them, don't try to fight them,"

Xia had to resist rolling her eyes.  As if she were stupid enough to do something like that.  Honestly, the man seriously underestimated her sometimes.

Maybe it was because of that time she got a hold of that catnip…

…Or the time she tried to steal a pretzel cart…

…Or the time she lit that necromancer on fire…

…Or the time-

"Xia!"

She blinked up at Kelson innocently.

--

Sometime before…

"…This place is a dump."

"Hey, you got the gil to get us a better place?  Then don't complain."

"I wasn't complaining, I was stating a fact!  Look, the plaster is coming off the ceiling!"

"We're just gonna hav'ta make due…"

Dropping the bag he was carrying, Taerk sat wearily down on the floor. "How long do we have to stay here?" he asked Julius gruffly.

Julius set Yuffie gently down onto the lumpy spring mattress.  He rubbed his neck ruefully.  "We can stay here for four nights.  After that…well…" he sighed.

Yuffie stared around the small hotel room, her ears flattening against her head.  Narrowing her eyes, she took in the cracks and stains on the walls, the peeling wallpaper, the dust and dirt…and the rusty looking radiator under the grimy window.  This was where they were going to be staying?

She shook her head.  "This won't do, not if I can do something."

Meridian raised an eyebrow at her as he lay Beatrix down on the other side of the mattress.  "What do you mean?"

She tried feebly to stand, and Julius quickly pressed her back down.  "Take it easy." He warned.

Yuffie shook her head again, "I still got some money you guys can use." Ern kneeled down next to her side, licking his lips.

"You mean we can borrow some?" he stammered.

"You can _have_ some.  I owe _you_ guys, it shouldn't be the other way around."

Meridian frowned, "But Yuffie, we don't want to-"

"Leech?" she grinned fiercely, "Trust me, you don't know the first thing about leeching.  Consider this a donation of sorts."

Julius scratched his head, "But-"

Taerk rolled his eyes, "Oh for gods sake, you're all acting as if you don't want the money!  She's offering it to us, and we need it!  I fail to see the problem."

Beatrix snorted, shooting him a glare, "Well some people are a little more humble than that, Taerk."

"No, listen to Blondie," Yuffie said, trying to stand again. "He's right.  You guys deserve it.  Besides, you're all forgetting I'm not just doing this for you.  I happen to benefit from this too ya know."

Meridian exchanged looks with the others.  Then he slowly nodded.  "…All right.  But are you sure you can walk?"

Yuffie nodded, "I can walk fine.  It's my shoulder that's hurt.  Just gotta change back is all."

Shakily, she made it on her paws, and wincing, she turned to Ern.  "Ern…you mind tossing a trench coat on me?"

He stared at her, confused for a second, before catching on.  "Oh!" he blushed and draped Yuffie with the coat.  "T-There ya go."

There was a small lump in the middle of the coat and all eyes fell on it as they waited for Yuffie to do her first change from cat back to human.

The cat girl stood shaking beneath the weight of the coat on her back.  Feeling awkward, she closed her eyes.

"All right.  Now um…how do I go about this?" she wondered, her tail twitching in thought.

A couple of minutes went by, and meekly, Beatrix tapped Yuffie on the back.  Startled, the cat girl jumped, and cried out as pain shot through her shoulder.  "What!?" she snapped, her voice muffled by the material.

Beatrix bit her lip, "Um…sorry…but I just wanted to tell you that if you wanted to change back, just imagine yourself human again and will it."

Yuffie blinked.  "Er…thanks."

"No problem."

Closing her eyes again, Yuffie tried to imagine herself as a human.  Quietly she murmured to herself.  "I don't have fur, I don't have paws, and I stand upright…"

She continued to paint the image out to herself, before tensing her body.  Ignoring the pain in her shoulder, she arched her back slightly as she willed the change to happen.  She wanted to be human.  She commanded her body to be human again.

Her skin tingled as the fur began to retract.  Her shoulder was burning with white-hot pain as her body began to transform.  She cried slightly as her arms lengthened.  The lycans watched with half-smiles as the lump grew, the sounds of Yuffie's change growing louder as it reached it's end.  Eventually, the noises stopped, and the lump was still.

Meekly, Yuffie poked her head out from beneath the trench coat, blinking dazedly.  Out of breath, she grinned up at them all. 

"Piece of cake…"

--

"I still don't see why we need sandals."

"They won't allow us in if we're not wearing shoes, Beatrix."

"So we'll tell them to shove it!  We're short enough on cash as it is!"

"Um, hello?  I'm getting us money, remember?"

"Yeah, and you said it wasn't much."

"It'll get us through, you'll see."

"How much do you have exactly?"

"Uh…I can't remember."

"…How long has it been since you went to the bank Yuffie?"

"…Three months I think."

"Three months!?"

Crunching through the snow covered streets, Yuffie and Beatrix were making their way toward the IBS, following the vague directions the hotel clerk had given them as best they could.

Beatrix was staring at Yuffie in disbelief, the hood she was wearing shading her face.  "How do you get by if all your money's in the bank??"

Yuffie shrugged, "I take out a lot of gil at once so that I don't have to go back and forth all the time."

Beatrix shook her head, "That isn't smart Yuffie…"

"What isn't smart is your being out here.  Why did you insist so much on coming with me?"

"Because your hurt."

"So are you.  Any of the others could have come instead you know."

"Would you rather I went back then?"

"I- …No, dammit, that's not what I meant!  Your putting words in my mouth!"

"Well don't worry your pretty little head so much, I'll be fine.  I'm keeping up with you aren't I?"

"Only because I'm walking slow."

"Yuffie, seriously, _I'll be fine._  Relax already.  If you really want to know, I didn't want to be left alone with the others and I figured you'd like some company on your first time out in public."

"…Oh."

Yuffie's trench coat was buttoned all the way to the top, her hood flipped up in attempt to conceal her ears.  Her shoulder was bandaged with Ern's shirt, which he reluctantly gave her, and while it still throbbed with pain, it didn't hurt as much, but she was still careful not to move it.  Her tail brushed against her legs, making Yuffie feel especially awkward, since…she wasn't wearing any clothes underneath.

"Hades, it's freezing!" she exclaimed suddenly, shivering, "Man, the first thing we're going to do when we get that money is buy some clothes.  The others can wait a little longer, I can't!"

Beatrix nodded smiling, "Sounds good to me."

Yuffie looked up, "Well, here's the bakery…we're not too far off now."

"Um, Yuffie?"

She looked at Beatrix, who looked worried.  "Yeah?"

Beatrix bit her lip.  "Uh…how are you supposed to get money if you don't have a bank card?"

Yuffie stopped in her tracks.  "…Oh hell."

--

"Please sign here…ma'am."

Yuffie took the pen, taking a moment to shoot the man across the desk a well-earned glare.  He was a reedy man, with thick glasses and slicked back hair.  People of his nature usual got on the cat girls nerves.  And true to her feelings, he began to aggravate her.

Slowly, she began to write her name, clenching the pen a little tighter than necessary.  The man was leaning over, trying to see what she wrote, but she shot him a look and he sat back down into his seat, frowning.  She licked her lips unconsciously, pushing the form papers back toward the clerk.  He raised an eyebrow as he read the name on the line.

"Miss…Kisaragi?"

Yuffie slouched slightly, feeling her face flush.  "…Yes, that's me."

The man only continued to stare at her.

Beatrix, who was sitting next to Yuffie, grew angry.  She leaned forward over the desk, her hair falling into her crimson eyes, "Listen to me," she glanced at the clerk's nametag, "_'Roy'_.  Are you trying to tell me that you are going to deny Yuffie Kisaragi a new bank card simply because she wants to dress uniquely?"

The man scowled at her.  "I never said any such thing."

"Well then hop to it, or we'll report you!  …And _no_ _more_ funny looks!"

Flustered the man began to type Yuffie's information into the computer, and satisfied, Beatrix sat back, looking smug.  Yuffie gave her a sidelong glance.  "_'Dress uniquely?'_"

Beatrix nodded, "Yes, I mean, why else would you have bought those contacts if you didn't want to stand out of the crowd?"

Yuffie stared at her while the man stood up and left, busying himself with her forms.  "Contacts?" She mouthed, raising an eyebrow.

Beatrix hissed through her smile, "Yes.  _Contacts!_"

Yuffie blinked at her for a moment before catching on.  "Oh!  _Contacts._"  She grinned and tapped her nose.  "I gotcha!"

Roy came back, looking irritated.  "Well, miss.  Everything checks out-"

"And he's annoyed by that!?" Yuffie fumed silently.

"-You should receive your card in a few days now."

Yuffie's face fell.  "…In a few _days_ it'll be here??"

Roy crossed his arms.  "Yes.  That's what I said.  Is there a problem?"

Yuffie frowned, wringing her hands, "It's just that we need money a bit sooner then _'a few days'_…"

"You know, you _can_ just a make a transaction at the desk."

Yuffie blinked.

Once.

Twice.

"…Really?  I can?"

Roy sighed, "_Yes_ ma'am, you _can_…"

"Okay, can I see how much I have?"

The clerk took out a pin dialer from under his desk and turned his computer screen.  "Type in your pin please."

Yuffie did, and numbers began to scroll down the screen.

"Oh man…"

Beatrix stared at her in disbelief.  "I thought you said you didn't have a lot of money!"

Yuffie shrugged, still looking disappointed. "I did!  But I spent a lot of it!"

"Artemis, you're a gillionaire!!" The younger girl cried.

Yuffie pointed a finger at her warningly.  "Hey, you just remember I'm doing this out of the kindness of my heart, okay!?"

Beatrix grinned. 

"Um…"

But as she looked up, the grin vanished, and she stared at something behind Yuffie.

Confused, the cat girl turned around…and froze like a deer caught in the headlights.

Tifa Lockheart was staring down at her, her eyes widening as they locked eyes.  The two seemed to stare at each other for an eternity before Tifa finally turned away, blushing. "I-I'm sorry.  I thought you were someone else…" Looking embarrassed the woman hurried out the doors, and both Yuffie and Beatrix stared after her.

Swallowing, Beatrix pointed, "Was…was that-?"

"How much can I take out?"

Beatrix looked at Yuffie sharply, eyes widening in disbelief.  Meanwhile, the cat girl was trying her hardest to seem aloof, looking across the desk at Roy with emotionless eyes.  The redhead stared at her, "…Yuffie?"

--

"…Stop pouting already, it's starting to get annoying."

Walking down a nameless street, Yuffie and Beatrix were looking for a clothing store to stop at.  But with the encounter at the IBS still fresh in their minds, they found it harder and harder to focus on their search.

Beatrix scowled, "I'm serious, Yuffie.  You're starting to make me depressed over here."

Yuffie rolled her eyes and turned her head slightly, a dark scowl on her face.  She hadn't said a word since they left the bank.  Not even the heaviness of her pocket could comfort her, and usually the presence of money cheered her up.  In all honesty she didn't want to go shopping anymore.  Clothes or no clothes, she just wanted to curl up in a dark corner somewhere, away from the world.

"You can't just leave it at that."

Yuffie looked at Beatrix, her scowl deepening.  "What?"

Beatrix stopped and placed her hands high on her hips. "I said you can't just leave it at that!  You have to go find her now!"

"Find her!?" Yuffie looked back at her shook her head, giving the redhead an incredulous look.  "You're nuts!  I'm not going to go _look_ for her!  I'm lucky she didn't recognize me!"

"If she's really your friend, she deserves to know what's happened to you.  But I guess I can't force you…"

"That's right.  You can't." Yuffie turned, about to start walking again.

Beatrix frowned after her, and reluctantly followed.

Together they walked in silence, the void between them thick with unsaid feelings and thoughts.  They were odd to those passing them, wearing nothing but sandals, trench coats, and in Beatrix's case, tattered pajamas.

"She smelled like hotel shampoo."

Beatrix jerked with a start, turning to stare at Yuffie.  Where had _that_ come from?  "Yeah…" she said, giving the cat girl a strange look, "She did."

Yuffie swallowed hard.  "But, that smell…you know, you wouldn't have believed how much she used on her hair two years ago.  I thought she was crazy."

"…Your point?"

"Tifa's been traveling.  Last I heard she was in Costa del Sol with Cloud.  What is she doing here in Icicle Inn?"

Beatrix shrugged, "Why don't you ask her?"

"I won't." Yuffie snapped.

"You two are in the same town for heaven's sake, just how do you expect to avoid her?"

"She can't recognize me, remember?"

"She isn't stupid, she'll put two and two together, y'know."

"Whatever."

Beatrix glanced at Yuffie, a worried look on her face.  The cat girl was tense and she could see the insecurity in her eyes.  She knew if she didn't somehow get her out of this slump, she'd be moody and depressed for ages.  Tonguing her cheek, the lycan racked her brain for ideas.

Yuffie's insecurity seemed to be rooted in her appearance.  If Beatrix could somehow make her feel better about herself…

Like a beacon of light, the sign "En Vogue" caught her attention from across the street.  Seeing the clothing displays, a sly grin formed on her face.

Beatrix grabbed Yuffie's hand and began dragging her toward the store.  Startled, the cat girl started to protest.

"Beatrix, what-!?"

"Come on, we've got work to do!"

--

Sitting at the same park bench as before, Tifa ate her breakfast halfheartedly.  The events at the IBS ran over and over in her mind, and each time Tifa thought about that girl's face, she shuddered.  What got her the most were the girl's eyes.  They were so _intense_ and _eerie_.  Of course, they must have been contacts, but for a fraction of a second, Tifa thought they were real.

Real cat eyes.

Electric blue…that was so Midgaran.  No doubt that's where the girl was from.  Only those from Midgar dressed so…differently.

Draining the last of her latte, Tifa stood and threw it in a nearby basin.

Crossing her arms, she turned to leave, when she spotted some children playing tag nearby.  They came every day, like her, to this same spot, and together they would play games.  Tifa would watch them silently from the bench, unconsciously keeping an eye out.  Only just recently, the cat had joined her, but the cat wasn't here anymore.

Sighing, Tifa watched the children play, thoughts drifting absently to Marlene and her quick-tempered father.  She hadn't spoken with Barret in a long time, and for that she felt guilty.  But all of them had been so consumed with going on with their lives that they had simply lost touch.  If she wanted, she could call any of them now, with the exception of Yuffie and Vincent whom no one could find, and catch up on things.

But then, as Yuffie's jubilant face popped into her mind, Tifa felt her face redden and the encounter at the IBS ran through her mind yet again.

"I was so sure it was her voice…" Tifa breathed, looking down at the ground.  Shaking her head, she frowned, "But then again, its been at least two years since I've last spoken with her…how would I know how she sounds?"

She looked up again at the children as they giggled and ran.

"…I miss everyone…" she whispered quietly.

--

Hidden behind a trashcan in a street nearby, a cat with white tipped ears watched Tifa warily.

Xia should have been doing her rounds like Kelson had told her.  But she wanted to see the fighter again, make sure she was okay.  Licking her lips, Xia sat on her hunches, tail swishing from side to side.

The Tifa woman couldn't stay here anymore.  It was dangerous.  If Kelson found out she were here, he'd hurt her.  He would hurt the person who showed Xia kindness, gave her food, and rubbed her belly.

Xia didn't want that.

But what could she do?

Openly defying Kelson was suicide.  And revealing her true form to Tifa would scare the woman right out of her mind.

Peeking around the trashcan again, Xia froze as she scanned the park.

…Where did she go!?

Creeping out from her hiding place, Xia glanced to make sure the coast was clear before darting across the street and into the park.  Running at a slow gallop, she tried to catch Tifa's scent, tried to see any sign of her.

Then she caught the faint scent of hotel shampoo and mocha latte.  An interesting combination, and easy to place.

Following the scent, Xia traced her way out of the park and back onto the sidewalk, where the trail led her another two streets before she finally saw Tifa, standing before an old building.

Peeking into the windows, the fighter tried to see the interior, her eyes lighting up in wonder.  She was unaware of Xia, approaching from behind.

The cat growled at the sign in the window, not knowing how to read, but understanding the sign's meaning and purpose.

The building was for sale.

Tifa, hearing the growl, turned and her eyes widened in surprise.  "Cat!"

Xia's tail twitched at the derogatory label, and she had to resist correcting the woman.  Instead, she meowed, raising her tail high.

Tifa bent down, scooping Xia into her arms.  "I thought you were gone for good!"

Xia butted her head against Tifa's cheek.  "Don't be stupid." She seemed to say.

Tifa smiled brightly, petting Xia's head.

Glancing behind her at the building, Tifa asked quietly, "What do you think about this place for a home?  I could even start a new bar here!"

Xia hissed loudly.

No!  She couldn't!

Tifa frowned down at her.  "What's wrong, cat?  Do you know something I don't?"

Besides the fact that if she bought this building, she'd basically be signing off her own life?

Xia pushed softly against Tifa's chest, and the woman let the cat girl down.  "…Cat?"

She glared up at the woman, growling.

Tifa winced.  "All right…I'll stop calling you that…How about I call you 'Spider' instead?"

Xia stared.

'Spider'?  She hadn't expected being nicknamed, and she certainly hadn't planned on being nicknamed in a way that would suggest 'ownership'.  But at her pause, Tifa explained.

"I figured since you were such a good climber, the name would suit you.  But if you don't like it, I can come up with something else…that is, unless you _want_ me to keep calling you 'cat'…"

Xia thought for a moment, the tip of her tail flopping on the ground.

It was true…she _was_ a good climber, better than any other cat demon as far as she knew.  But did she really want to be named after an arachnid?  And Xia didn't even like the _illusion_ of being owned by anyone. 

Well…it was better than being referred to as some common animal.

Xia meowed her okay.

Tifa smiled and nodded, "Okay.  I'll call you Spider from now on." She stood to her feet, "We can come back here later.  I feel like walking around some more."

Xia purred and followed Tifa as she began walking.  Several people stared as they passed by, frowning at the sight of a cat trotting side by side with a woman.  Neither of them seemed to notice the attention they were receiving, however.  They were too consumed with their own thoughts.

Xia glanced up at Tifa, tail raised.

She had to figure out some way to keep her out of danger.  She had to keep her safe.

The Tifa woman had to leave Icicle Inn at all costs.

--

"…Beatrix, this isn't me."

"And why not?  Why can't it be the new you?"

"…Just…I've never worn so much black in all my life!"

"Hey, it's like I said, in order to seem normal, you have to dress abnormal.  No one suspects you're anything but human in that outfit."

"But I'm still getting weird looks!"

"So am I.  Think I care?"

"No, in fact I think you're enjoying this."

"Of course!  I'm like a sunflower, gotta follow the sun n' all.  …Come on, chipper up Yuffie!  Just say you came from Midgar.  It'll explain everything."

"Yeah, sure it will…"

But Yuffie had to admit, she felt more comfortable.

Wearing fishnet stockings, a black laced skirt, a designer trench coat with hood, and a black choker with a silver bell, the cat girl couldn't have stood out any more.  But now her outfit seemed to excuse everything else about her.  Her claws had been painted black, her lips covered with black lipstick, her eyes outlined with black eyeliner and…she didn't seem so inhuman. 

She was a girl from Midgar who grew her nails out and sharpened the ends, with blue cat eye contacts and filed teeth.

She was abnormally normal.

She was human.

True, she would have never done this on her own, but she had always held a certain fascination and admiration for the dark style.  Yuffie was more into bright colors and beach bum clothing rather than dark Midgaran rocker outfits.

Yuffie grinned absently.  "You're lucky you spotted that store, Beatrix, I think it's the only one like it in town."

Beatrix smirked, "Yeah, I know…and by the look of the storeowner, I'd say they don't get a lot of business.  I think he was crying when we left the store…"

Still wearing her old trench coat, Beatrix had chosen to get a simple black t-shirt, a skull with the bones crossed on the front.  Silver, baggy snowboarding pants made swishing noise as she walked, her new snow boots crunching through the snow.  She was carrying most of the bags, while Yuffie carried two with her good arm.

They were making their way back to the hotel room, and feeling better about themselves.

They didn't even worry about the looks they would receive once they got back to the others.

----

A/N: And here's chapter eleven.  Without even meaning to, I now have drawn up a plan in my head for where this story will be going.  This is starting to take more shape, so before I make a nose dive into a situation I can't write myself out of, I'm going to try and follow this rough path that I've blazed for myself.  I won't guarantee it, for fear of breaking a promise, but I think things won't be so 'random' anymore.

When I finished this chapter, I realized that back at the bank scene with Yuffie, they would have asked her for identification of some kind, which she didn't have.  I forgot that one detail, so for the sake of the story, let's all pretend that people don't need ID when they want to get money out of the bank.  M'kay?

Well, I'll just leave it at that then.  Thanks for reading, remember to leave a review!


	12. Prisoner, Fighter, Dreamer, Schemer

As Meridian and the others sat waiting impatiently in the hotel room, Yuffie and Beatrix were making their way up the stairs to their floor.  Yuffie's bell jingled as she walked and she gripped it, grimacing.  "Beatrix don't ya think this bell is much?"

Beatrix frowned at her, "What's the matter with it?"

"I feel like a pet kitten!  This is way too ironic for me!"

"Well, wasn't ironic what we were aiming for?"

"Yeah but still…I'm half expecting some crazy old lady to just jump out, kidnap me, and start calling me 'Fluffy'."

Beatrix snorted into a fit of laughter at this, and she ended up having to lean against a wall whilst clutching her stomach.  Yuffie glared at her, fuming.

"S'not funny!" she snapped.

Beatrix tried to say something but only collapsed into another round of laughs and, annoyed, Yuffie continued walking without her, looking up at the passing ceiling and cursing all living werewolves.  Beatrix calmed down enough to catch up with her, and they stopped at the door to their room, Yuffie tonguing her cheek and Beatrix imitating an old woman.

"C'mere little pussy cat!  I've got a treat for you!"

Beatrix waved an imaginary treat in Yuffie's face and the cat girl swatted at her.  This only made Beatrix laugh harder and once again she was forced to lean against the door for support.  Yuffie grinned despite herself.

The door opened, however, and Beatrix gave a shriek as she hit the floor in an ungraceful heap.  Mikau overshadowed them both, and Yuffie's grin faded away at the look he was giving the both of them.

The dark haired man slowly stepped aside, his eyebrow quirking a little.

Yuffie could feel the weight of everyone's stares as the others looked at her and her cheeks turned a light pink.  Wagging a finger at them, she hissed, "Say a single word and I'll gouge out your eyes with my friggin' claws!"

At this they all turned to Beatrix, who was picking herself off the floor.

She grinned sheepishly.  "Ain't my new clothes just spiffy?"

"You kept us here waiting, freezing and starving in our ripped PJ's while you went out shopping?"  Taerk deadpanned.

Beatrix crossed into the room and set the bags on the bed.  "Yep." She said simply.

Julius peeked into the bags.  "Did you spend all the money on clothes!?"

"'Course not." Yuffie snapped, reaching into her coat pocket, "We've still got plenty left, you guys can even buy some clothes for yourselves."

"And our hotel room?" Mikau asked.

"Ah…" Julius scratched the back of his head, "About that…we're gonna hav'ta stay here the next few nights."

"Why?" Ern asked, looking confused.

Julius sighed, "Well ya see, I already paid for more than one night, and the hotel won't refund the money."

Yuffie groaned, "Geez!  Ya mean I went through all that for no goddamn reason!?"

Taerk glared at her, "No one asked you to-"

"How can you say that?  Look at all this stuff we got!" Beatrix exclaimed, purposely cutting Taerk off.  "And now we can get the others clothes and have something to eat!"

Yuffie just groaned again and flopped onto the bed, face down.  "But if I left _later_, I wouldn't have seen _her!_"

"Who?" Julius asked, immediately interested.

"No one." Beatrix said, waving him away.  Pushing aside the bags, she sat next to Yuffie and patted her back.  "It couldn't have been helped.  It was bound to happen anyway…"

"Sure it was…" Yuffie grumbled.  "I'm just fates little chew toy."

"More like it's catnip mouse."

"Whatever."

"Hey come on.  How about we take these fella's out shopping for some clothes?"

"And shoes!" Ern piped.

Yuffie rolled on to her side.  She looked around at them all for a moment, before shaking her head, "Naw, you guys go ahead.  Here," she handed Beatrix some gil.  "Go on.  And there's some extra so you guys can have brunch or something…"

Beatrix frowned at the gil in her hand.  "Yuffie…This is _your_ money.  It wouldn't feel right if we just left without you!"

Meridian nodded, speaking for the first time from his place next to the window.  "Yes, please.  You must join us."

Julius grinned, "Yeah, we need someone else besides Beatrix to harp on our clothes."

Beatrix stuck her tongue out at him.  "Stupid git."

Yuffie waved them off.  "Just go already!  I'll be perfectly fine here by myself!"

Beatrix bit her lip.  "…You sure?"

"'Course I am!  Now beat it, all of you, before I zap you into lycan light bulbs!"

Beatrix smiled weakly.  "All right…we'll be back soon."

Yuffie watched silently as they all left, a false smile plastered onto her face to dismiss any doubts on their part.  When she was left alone, the door closing behind them, the smile fell of her face like a hanging picture on a wall.

Leaning her head back, she sighed heavily.

--

"I don't feel like going back to my room, not with that crowd there…but what else can I do?  I can't think of any other places I can look at, and there isn't much fun I can have by myself."

Standing unsurely at a street corner, Tifa tried to think of something to do.  Had she ever had this much trouble back in Costa?  Probably not.  She was too busy wallowing in her own self-pity.

The fighter felt something brush against her leg and looked down to see Spider was still with her.  She grinned sheepishly, "I'm sorry, for a moment I forgot you were there."

The cat licked its lips and its tail thumped the ground once.

Tifa frowned, "Well I'm sorry, Spider!  You're just so quiet sometimes!"

Sighing, she scratched her head, "Well…I have some extra cash, and I _guess_ I could go _shopping_…"

As she debated whether or not shopping would be worth her time and money, Spider was looking down the street, her body unnaturally stiff.  Crouching low to the ground, she began to slink away.  Tifa looked up in time to see her disappear into another street.

Frowning, Tifa made as if to follow her, but then thought against it and went the other way, back into the heart of town.

"She'll come back when she wants.  Meanwhile I'm going to go and buy some new clothes.  Shiva knows I need to."

--

"An here's the memorial statue to Biggs, Wedge, an' Jessie.  We hired the best sculptors we could find to make this here thing, an' if anyone deserves it, they would."

"It's great, Barret."

"Very beautiful."

"…That girl's nose is off."

Rae stomped on Jenila's foot with her heel, and Jenila gave a small shout.  Barret and Cloud gave them both a look, and Rae waved them off dismissively.  "I'm sorry, my friend has a bit of a mouth.  Don't take anything she says seriously."

Barret scowled and turned, looking back at the statue more closely.  Cloud muttered to Rae on the side.  "Is _this_ how you plan on getting the others to help?"

Rae held her hands up, "Hey I said sorry!  Jenila can be impulsive and rude sometimes.  If I could control what she said, I would!  Honestly!"

Meanwhile, Jenila was nursing her foot muttering curses under her breath.  "Plucker!" she seethed, giving Rae the deadliest look she could muster.

Rae slapped her arm, "Watch your mouth, there's a little girl standing barely five feet away from you!"

"Oh give me a break, she doesn't' know what that word means!"

"Well I do, so watch it or I'll freeze your mouth shut!"

"Please do…" Cloud muttered, turning away.

"There ain't _nothing_ wrong with Jessie's nose!" Barret exclaimed, pulling away.

Marlene tugged on his shirt, "Daddy, can we have lunch?"

He frowned down at her, "Now?"

"Yes!  I'm hungry!"

He sighed, "All right…we'll get some food."

--

She was sitting in darkness.  Complete and total darkness.  It blew against her skin, cold and musty, the stench of the black sea tickling her senses and making her cringe in disgust.

She reached a hand out, trying to feel something, trying to reach someone, but she touched nothing.  The air around her was eerily quiet, so quiet that she could only hear her heartbeat and shallow breaths.  There was nothing.  There was only emptiness, and she was lost in it.  But she knew that for those lost, they had either one of two names.

Jane or John.

In this case, she knew, she was Jane.

Jane looked around in despair wanting desperately to cry out for help but feeling too afraid to break the silence hanging around her.  It was like glass, and if she shattered it, it would cut her with its shards.

There was a tugging at her neck, and with the tug came the jingle of her bell.  The bell on her collar.  Frightened, Jane clutched at it, afraid it would make more noise, but the invisible force tugging at her collar pulled hard, and she was jerked violently forward.  Fruitlessly, she tried to fight against the force, this invisible leash, but she couldn't resist and she found herself following the pull.

A door appeared suddenly before her and the abrupt change in color made her squint her eyes.  Reflexively, Jane reached out a hand to keep from walking into it, but like water her hand fell through, and she soon followed it, staring in surprise.

She was now in a room, a child's room, with toys strewn about the floor and a crib on the sidewall.  But she closed her eyes to it all, a whimper building up in her throat.

The room was bathed in blood.

Small bloody handprints were smeared on the walls, the crib oozing with crimson life, and the toys covered in the liquid.  And the dolls…dripping, saturated, but smiling. 

Still smiling.

The invisible leash pulled and Jane started walking again, heading for the door before her.  She squeezed her eyes more tightly shut and bowed her head, too afraid to see what the next room would contain.

She felt herself pass through the door, and the pull of the leash died away, leaving her standing in the middle of the new room.  Still refusing to open her eyes, she clenched her fists and tried to think of something happy.

Sadly, Jane found she couldn't.

A hand fell heavily upon her shoulder and Jane jumped, eyes snapping open.  She saw a pair of orange sneakers in front of her, and slowly looking up, she was greeted with the face of a girl.

She was only slightly smaller than her, and looked extremely young and cheerful.  Her bright face was a sharp contrast from the room before, and Jane was a little dazed at the abrupt change.  But she knew this face.  This girl.  She had seen her somewhere before, she was sure.

The girl grinned a grin that looked almost too big for her face.  "Heya!" she chirped, bouncing slightly.

Jane smiled weakly in return, a strange feeling beginning to swell inside of her.

The girl adjusted the large shield on her left arm, blowing her hair out of her eyes.  "'Guess yer stuck here like us.  You're a funny lookin' one, but we don't get many people down here anyhow, so I guess beggars can't be choosers… It's SO dull in here.  The others are pains, they're always telling me what to do and thinking they're better than me.  They call me Naïve.  I dunno why or what it means.  I think its foreign'r something."

Jane frowned at this and looked around the large empty room.  The room was blank and there was but a single light bulb hanging from the ceiling.  Occasionally it would flicker, and Jane thought this sad, since it's light barely made it to the walls anyhow.

Leaning carelessly against a wall was another girl, similar to Naive in appearance but wearing slightly different clothes.  She didn't have an arm length shield on her left arm, nor sneakers, or a calf bracelet with straps and a fishnet stocking on her left leg.  Instead she wore orange boots and white stockings, a blue belt around her waist and a yellow scarf around her neck.

Holding a throwing star between her index and middle finger, Jane and the other girl locked eyes.

The girl smirked and kicked off the wall, pocketing her star as she approached.

Jane's grin widened.  The feeling inside her grew.

The girl crossed her arms arrogantly and cocked her head to one side, "Nice collar." She said, eyebrow quirking.

Naive snickered.

Jane, blushing, grabbed at her bell.  The girl placed her hands on her hips.  "I'm Brash.  And this, in case you hadn't noticed it already, is Naïve-"

"I already told her that-!"

"Shut it!  …Now, Jaded should be here soon and-"

"Who's this?"

They looked back in surprise and Jane let out a laugh as she spotted who they were looking at.

The other girl, Jaded, was standing behind Naïve and Brash.  She had a blank expression on her face, her shoulder length hair-hanging limp around her face and her bangs falling into her eyes so that they were barely visible.  She wore a thick winter jacket and gloves, with snow boots on her feet.

Jaded blinked at the sight of Jane.

"…Hey." She said, waving slowly.

Jane waved eagerly back, tears of happiness in her eyes.  She knew these people!  She was sure of it!  She had seen them so many times before, staring back at her, and now that they were here again, she wouldn't be alone anymore!

Jaded blinked slowly.  "So…uh…what are you, new?  What's your name?"

At this Jane faltered.  She stared blankly at the others and after a few moments Brash waved a hand impatiently in her face.  "Yo!  Earth to kitty!"

Jane frowned.  Kitty?

Naïve put her hands high on her hips.  "Hey!  Come one!  Tell us who you are already!"

Jane took a step back.  Who she was? 

…Who was she?

"Look just tell us who you are!"

"What's yer' name?"

"Just who the heck are you?"

Jane took another step back, shaking her head.  She tried to speak but found she couldn't.  Her tail was whipping anxiously behind her…

…She had a tail!?

The others were starting to look angry…

…These people…She knew she had seen them before, she was _sure_ of it…many times in fact…

Where was that laughing coming from?

…But had she ever talked to them like this?  Confronted them like this?  …She couldn't recall ever doing so…

They were starting to shout at her now.  Growing angrier by the second.  Jane only sobbed and reached her hands up to cover her ears when she realized they weren't on the sides of her head, like they were supposed to be.

They were on top, and far from human.

…The feeling inside her shrank into nothing, the emptiness filling it and giving it shape disappearing completely.  They had been empty feelings.

Brash grabbed her wrist.  "Tell us who you are, dammit!"

Naive grabbed her other wrist, "Yeah!  Tell us!"

She fought in vain, pulling against their grips.  Jaded held the point of a dagger at her throat, her eyes glassy.

"Tell us your name…" she demanded quietly.  "Tell us your name or I swear you'll never be able to speak it again."

Jane shook her head, her eyes widening in terror.  "I…" she swallowed and tried again, her voice a hoarse whisper.  "I…don't know…who…I am…" But then realization hit her and the fear subsided.

This wasn't right.

She had seen these people before.  She recognized them.  She remembered them.  But…

…She didn't _know_ them.

Scowling, she leaned forward, ignoring the dagger as it pricked her skin, a small drop of blood trickling down her throat.  "Who are YOU?"

And it were as if blew them all away with a cannon.  They flew, screaming, through the air until they hit the walls, where their bodies scattered into shadows.

Bewildered Jane stared around her, blinking rapidly in confusion.

Once again, she heard the laughing coming from somewhere, warped and eerie.  The room around her faded away, and she was plunged back into darkness.  In despair she sank down onto the ground, listening sorrowfully as the laughing faded into the distance…

Then Yuffie woke with a start, sitting up in the bed like a bullet.  Glancing around her, she saw that she was still alone in the hotel room and with a sigh she wiped at her sweaty face.  She hadn't even realized she had fallen asleep.  How long had she been out?  And what was up with that dream?

"Man…that felt so real…"

--

"What do you want Jenila?"

"Tortilla chips."

"That's…not on the menu."

"I don't care.  I want tortilla chips."

Sitting in a diner somewhere in town, Rae was trying to get Jenila to cooperate and order something.

…But Jenila wasn't having it.

"I'm not eating anything but tortilla chips."

Rae meanwhile was trying her best not to bash her head in with the napkin dispenser.

"Well then you're just going to go hungry now aren't you?" she snapped, tossing the menu onto the table.

Jenila raised a pointed finger.  "On the contrary.  I'm going to _get_ tortilla chips.  Right now.  With or without you people."

Rae stared at her.  "Jenila you can't be serious!"

"When aren't I?"

"Just about all the time, last I checked."  Rae muttered, rolling her eyes.

Jenila snorted.  "And let me guess, YOU are serious all the time?"

"Not all the time, of course, but when I need to be."

"Oh that's right.  You're all about 'protocol'…"

"…Jenila what are you getting at?"

Cloud cleared his throat.  "Guys…"

Jenila grinned humorlessly.  "You know exactly what I'm getting at Rae."

"No, really.  I'd like to know."

"You're a stuck up ice queen."

"…Oh am I?"

Cloud grit his teeth.  Barret gave him a look before quietly muttering to Marlene to go and sit at the counter where he could see her.  Turning back to him, he mouthed, "Just what the hell is the matter with them!?"

The swordsmen could only shrug and when he opened his mouth to try again, he felt a tap on his shoulder.  Automatically he turned around, but saw nothing.  Frowning, he looked at Barret, who frowned at him.

Cloud blinked, then shook his head and reached a hand out to tap Rae on the arm.  Meanwhile, Rae and Jenila's argument had disintegrated into shouted insults.

But once again he was stopped when someone yanked out a strand of his hair.  He gave a small yelp, and the two women across from him stopped momentarily to look at him before continuing as if nothing had happened.

Annoyed, Cloud turned around, ready to shoo away the brat kid who did it when he was once again faced with no one.  He scowled.  "The heck-?"

"Hey!"

He blinked again, and this time looked around in the air.  "…Is…that you Noku?"

The faeries voice seemed to come from nowhere, and he found it unnerving.  "Where are you?" he hissed, trying not to look like he was talking with thin air.  But Barret heard him and he was torn between staring at him and the two fighting angels.

"I'm using an invisibility charm right now!  I've been following you the entire time!"

Cloud sighed, "You could have told me that to begin with…"

"Sorry…but I've gotta warn you."

"About what?"

"Don't try to get involved in any of Rae and Jenila's fights.  It's taboo, y'know?  Bad stuff happens, and they don't even have to notice you're there.  Usually they don't notice you at all.  They get so into it that everything around them kind of disintegrates.  They're kind of notorious for it.  The best thing to do is wait at a distance for them to stop.  No matter what, they always make up.  It's what makes them partners."

"I believe you.  But all these people, what if those two start to _really_ fight.  Someone might try to…'get involved'."

"Jenila's the only one ya really gotta worry about, I hear she can sometimes loose her head.  But they aren't dumb.  They know they can't use their powers in public."

"You better be right…"

Barret hit him in the back.  "Hey, who you talkin' to!?"

Cloud grimaced.  "Uh…look, I'll explain later…"

"Later!?  How about now?  These two look like they're about to tear each other apart!" and with that he stood, looking his meanest.  "Hey, why don't the both a you shut the hell up!?"

But neither of the women seemed to hear him.

"Oh go screw an incubus!"

"Why don't you fly into the sun?"

"Gods, sometimes I wish I did!"  Jenila shouted, slamming her palms on the table as she stood, nearly knocking her chair over.

Rae did the same, "Well then why the hell don't you!?" she screamed.

"You know, I have no idea!  I'll just go do that now!"

"You do that!"

"Fine, I will!"

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

And with an enraged scream, Jenila stormed out of the restaurant, nearly knocking a waiter off his feet on her way out.

As all of this happened, it was all Barret and Cloud could do but watch.  Rae sat back down in her chair, and Barret pointed a finger at her, ready to shout at her for her behavior, but she squeezed her eyes shut with a groan and he stopped.

"I'm sorry…" she muttered, "I'll…I'll be back in a second…"

Rae stood slowly from her seat, her cheeks a light pink as she felt all eyes rest on her.  Swallowing, she left the restaurant.

Barret stared after her, shaking his head.  "Yo, man.  If what ya'll are tellin' me is true.  Then do you _really_ think _they're_ the ones to pull this off?"

Cloud sighed, "You know, I really have no idea…"

"An' did I tell you this is all kinda hard to believe to begin wid'?"

"Yeah…more than once."

"So then why are you trusting them so damn much?"

"I don't know."

"You're messed up man."

"Yeah, I am."

--

"Jenila, stop…I wanna talk."

"Well I don't."

"Oh, NOW you don't?"

"What the hell do you want Rae?"

"Well if you'd just stop for a second I could tell you!"

Jenila stopped, and rolling her eyes, she turned around, her arms crossed haughtily over her chest.  Rae came to a slow stop before her, looking miffed.  Standing the middle of a small plaza, they attracted a lot of stares, but neither noticed.

They were too busy glaring at each other.

"Look, I know not even _you_ get mad over something as small as tortilla chips."  Rae said, placing a hand on her hip.  "So tell me what you're _really_ mad about."

Jenila snorted.  "You don't care."

"Of course I do.  Why else would I be asking?"

"You're just doing this because you feel like you have to.  Because you're thinking, 'Sweet gods, now I have to _pacify_ the psycho bitch so she doesn't blow up again and the others start thinking we're fulla _shit_'!"

Rae ruffled her hair with a scream.  "_Goddammit_, Jenila!  …You know what?  _Yes._  That's _exactly_ why I'm here.  Frankly, I could care LESS why you're really mad, because I KNOW it's something _ridiculously_ stupid anyways!  The others probably think we're _jokes_ now, no thanks to you!"

"Well it's so nice to hear you being _honest_ with your feelings for fucking once!" Jenila sneered.  "And you know what?  It's _my_ turn.  I really could care _less_ about this 'mission', Rae.  This is _politics._  We don't DO politics!  The light mages knew it, Ulysses knew it, you knew it, and I knew it!  We _fight_.  We don't act _'polite'._  That's not what they made us for, dammit!  And I'm not going to pretend like I like any of this and I'm sure as hell not going to pretend to be anything I'm not!"

Jenila stood, shoulders heaving, her face a deep shade of crimson and her fists balled tightly at her sides.  They were attracting a crowd now, and people were giving them strange looks, muttering to each other.

Rae was blinking at Jenila, her face almost as red as the woman's across from her.  Turning her head slightly, she glanced around at the crowd forming around them, and she rolled her eyes skyward.

"Dammit…Jenila…I'm sorry."

Jenila only glared at her from where she stood, and Rae sighed wearily.  "I mean it…" stepping forward, she gripped Jenila's shoulders.  "I'm _sorry._"

For a moment the raven head said nothing, only stared into her companions eyes intensely, as if checking to see whether or not the blonde was being sincere.

But then Jenila's eyes flickered to the crowd around them, and her gaze narrowed.  "Hey!  Are we entertaining you?  Beat it scumbags!"

The crowd quickly dispersed in the face of her wrath, and Rae only shook her head, a smile on her face.

"You're tactless." She said, shoving Jenila playfully.

Jenila smirked.  "Well it worked, didn't it?"

Rae's smile widened.  "Come on…let's get something to eat."

"All right…But I still want tortilla chips."

--

"How about this Trixy?"

"It looks fine.  And don't call me 'Trixy'."

"Why not?"

"It makes me sound like a kid."

"Oh…that's right…you're too pretty to be just a kid."

"Don't start, Julius, or you'll be limping all the way back to the hotel room."

"Aw, come now love.  Are you still worried about Yuffie?"

"Don't tell me you actually fell for that façade of hers!"

"…It was a façade?"

"…Gods, I swear, men are so thick…"

Browsing through the clothes of some out of the way men's store, Beatrix watched as the others picked out clothes that she normally would have given them hell about.  But now she was too busy thinking about a certain hanyou…

"Look, Beatrix, I've got some extra money left over.  Why don't you go buy a shirt or something?"

She glared at Julius, "No."

He sighed, "All right…but thinking about it won't help.  Yuffie's stubborn.  She'll try to figure out whatever's wrong on her own.  In the mean time, you've just got to deal with it."

Beatrix snorted.  She had tried to help cheer Yuffie up by helping her pick out new clothes so she wouldn't feel so insecure.  But apparently, her problems ran deeper than just appearance.  Seeing Tifa again had set her off balance.  True, Beatrix hadn't been expecting it either, but it had happened, and the girl knew there was nothing left to do but go with the flow.  If only Yuffie could realize that, then maybe she wouldn't be so depressed…

Absently, Beatrix walked past the others and out of the store onto the sidewalk.  There she stood, pondering what she could do to help. 

Yuffie may be stubborn, but so was she.  She was determined to find a way to get Yuffie out of her slump and _keep_ her out of it.

"Well…we took care of her appearance problem…" Beatrix murmured, starting to walk.  "But that obviously isn't enough…so just what else can I do?  What else does she _need?_"

The smells and sounds around her went in and out of her radar like flies, too small and insignificant for her conscious mind to pick up on.  There was a pretzel vendor nearby.  She could smell the food from where she was.  The man that just walked past her reeked of cologne; he really needed to lay off of it.  The car exhaust was faint.  For whatever reason there weren't many cars on this street…And Ifrit to hell, how much shampoo did that woman have to use on her hair!?

Beatrix's head jerked up at this thought, and she stopped dead in her tracks.

Shampoo?  It was the cheapish kind.  Like…

The kind hotels used.

Head snapping around, the redhead searched and quickly found what she was looking for.  Long brown hair, white sweater, and jeans.  Yep.  That was her.  She was sure of it.

Eyes set on her target, Beatrix turned right around and quickly followed after the woman, feeling her heart hammer in her chest.  If Yuffie found out she was doing this, she would kill her.  Just flat out _kill_ her.  But really…it was for the cat girl's own good.  Still, this didn't calm Beatrix much.

She was going to approach a world-renowned hero after all, and on the queerest of circumstances no less.

Praying silently to Artemis, Beatrix reached out a shaky hand and tapped the woman on the shoulder.

Tifa stopped, and turned around, a puzzled look on her face.  Beatrix still held her hand up, and opened her mouth as if to speak, but the most that came out was a squeak.  The woman stared at her, and she tried again, inwardly kicking herself.

"I…um…" she bit her lip and shifted her weight to one foot.

Tifa frowned slightly and crossed her arms over her chest.  "Yes?"

Beatrix closed her eyes and took a deep breath.  "This isn't easy…" Nervously she laughed, "Ah-"

"You're the one from the IBS!"

Beatrix glanced at Tifa sharply, feeling her face redden.  "Um…yeah.  I am."

Tifa smiled sheepishly, "I'm sorry about what happened.  I hope I didn't scare your friend, she just…reminded me of someone."

Beatrix shook her head quickly, "No!  No, she's fine!  She was just…caught off guard, that was all."

"I suppose anyone would if a perfect stranger came up to them like that…" the woman chuckled nervously.

Beatrix did the same.  "Um…yeah…well.  About that."  And it was here that she paused.  Just what the heck WAS she planning anyways?  For her and Yuffie to meet?  To explain to Tifa that it was actually Yuffie she had seen in the bank?  Just about everything she came up with sounded like suicide.

She sighed defeatedly. "My name's Beatrix…"

Tifa smiled a small puzzled smile.  "My name's Tifa."

"Yeah, I know."  Beatrix straightened her back, "That's kind of why I wanna talk with you…"

Tifa's smile faltered and Beatrix quickly corrected herself.  "I mean not to get an autograph or anything!  Bugging you is the last I wanna do, believe me!  …But you see…look I know I said that you're speaking to my friend earlier didn't bother her…but it kind of did…"

Tifa blinked slowly.  "Um…okay?  Is…there anything I can do?"

Beatrix bit her lip and thought as quickly as she could.  "My friend…she knew someone that you used to know yourself…"

At this Tifa raised an eyebrow.  "Oh really?"

"Yeah!" Beatrix nodded and tried to keep the grin from forming on her face.  She had it!  "Yuffie Kisaragi.  They were good friends, and they haven't seen each other in a week."

Now, she could tell, she had the fighter's full and undivided attention.  "She…knows where Yuffie is?"

Beatrix shook her head, "Not lately.  She lost contact with Yuffie some days ago.  She was really worried, and when she saw you, she kind of blanked out.  You left before she could say anything.  She was so upset afterwards, that, well…I'm worried about her well being."

"Oh…" Tifa looked down at the ground.  She seemed to be deep in thought, and Beatrix was trying to resist the urge to go skipping around in joy.  "I…I haven't spoken with Yuffie for almost two years.  But…I-" she looked up at Beatrix, wringing her hands.  "I'd like to speak with your friend, if that's all right."

Beatrix smiled slowly. 

"Yes.  I think she'd like that too…"

--

It was humid, the air thick and choking his lungs, the occasional echo in the hall outside the chamber filling him with dread each time.  The amber light of the torches played shadows across the floor and the walls, and he watched them darkly, ragged breaths rushing past his dry cracked lips.  The dirt floor was stained.

Stained with his blood.

Carved into his chest and back were symbols.  Demonic symbols, that somehow, distantly, he understood.

A sense of panic and urgency overtook him and he pulled and tugged at the chains holding his arms up over his head.  The shackles cut into his wrists, and he winced slightly as he fought to free himself.

Death, destruction, darkness…

He could almost taste it all in his mouth, like a poison, trying to kill whatever was left of his sanity…whatever was left of HIM.

He had to escape, had to get away.

The chamber door opened and his head snapped around, a bestial growl forming in his throat.

He hadn't heard anyone approaching.

Standing there, hand still on the door, was a woman.

She was a beautiful woman, with long cascading curls that splashed across her creamy shoulders, a flowing white dress showing off her long shapely legs.  She seemed otherworldly and completely out of place.  She looked like a goddess.

…She also looked like the bane of all men.

A soft smile playing across her lips, she approached him, unfazed at his battered, bloodied state.

Crimson eyes staring through a curtain of black, Vincent Valentine gave the woman the coldest look he could muster.

Running a finger along his sweat glazed chest, the woman cocked her head to one side.  "Mr. Valentine." She said, more of a statement then a question.

Vincent said nothing.  He reverted his gaze to the ground, trying not to flinch as she ran her fingers over his wounds.

"You've given us quite a run for our money, I assure you." He could hear the smile in her voice, "I actually had to pin-point you myself.  Ultera has never had so much trouble finding a target before.  I think she was impressed you lasted as long as you did."

Taking a sweaty strand of hair between her fingers, she tugged on it, "But we've got you now."

"What do you want from me…"

The question was abrupt.  Vincent still didn't lift his head, only continued to stare at the ground.  Years ago, he never would have asked such a question.  It was mundane and useless, something that only the desperate and frightened asked.  But…it seemed after everything, his training as a Turk still had not been thorough enough.  The past few months had been spent surviving in the most primitive way imaginable.

So unlike a Turk.

The woman moved back a little, sighing like a mother to a child.  "Why do you even ask?  Even bother wasting your breath?"

Vincent didn't say anything again.  He only closed his eyes and swallowed.

"You know what we want Mr. Valentine.  And we won't stop until we get it…"

Vincent glanced up at her, eyes narrowing as her voice trailed off.  She was frowning and looking toward the door, her eyes turning glassy.

After a moment, she looked back at him.

"It's hard to find good help these days, Mr. Valentine." The woman sighed.

Vincent felt blood trickle down his arms from his cut wrists, and he focused on the wall ahead of him, tightening his jaw.  The woman reached a hand up and wiped at it, grinning.  "Trying to free ourselves, were we?" she chuckled, "You'll have to pull alot harder than that to break free of _those_ chains, dear."

After another moment of silence, she sighed and stroked his hair, and Vincent jerked away from her, scowling.

"I figured you'd be the silent type." She said, smirking.  "But we'll see how silent you are once we begin."

"Begin what?" he asked, eyes snapping onto her.

She smiled.  "You'll see."

She turned for the door.  "Oh."  Stopping, she turned back to him, fiery eyes glinting.

"My name is Elmiryn.  It was a pleasure meeting you Mr. Valentine."

----

A/N:  Another chapter done, more paths opened.

How did you like that dream of Yuffie's?  Was it weird?  Too confusing?

At times I wonder if I've been under some kind of illusion that the chapters I write are good, then I wonder about the story itself, and then I question whether I ever really could write to begin with.

Oh woe is me, for I am an angsty teen with a self esteem problem.

Le sigh…

As always, thank you all for reading.  Please leave a review and relieve me of my misery so that I may strive through the next chapter before I chop off both my hands.


	13. Thirteen Shadows

Chink.  Chink.  Chink.

Ultera hit the ground again and again with the end of her lance, a bored expression on her face.  Sitting on a table, she glowered around the room, orange eyes narrowing.

Just what did the others take her for?  A babysitter?

After months of searching she had finally caught Valentine, (albeit, with help) and what was she rewarded with?  Babysitting a human doll.  That's what.

Ultera glared across the room at the small girl, who was sitting hauntingly like a ghost in the corner, unmoving.  The girl looked young, possibly seven years old, and had long curly red hair.  One really couldn't say she was living, for she never showed any signs of life, and as far as Ultera knew, she never grew.

Devil tail lashing angrily, she hopped off of the table, lance placed on her shoulder.  Giving the human doll a scrutinizing look, Ultera approached her slowly, then took her lance and, with its end, poked at the girl experimentally.

She didn't move.

Annoyed, Ultera poked the girl more insistently.

She still didn't move.

Growling, Ultera rapped the girl on her forehead sharply with her fist, bat-like ears wiggling. 

Was there a brain in there or what?

When the girl still didn't move, the she-devil shrugged and turned to sit back in her corner of the room when she felt something grab onto her tail, scorching the skin.  Ultera let out an inhuman shriek as pain burned itself onto her skin.  Twisting around she ripped her tail from the girl's grasp.  But when she looked back, she saw the girl's eyes were no longer lifeless.  They were very much alive, in fact, and looked very angry.

The girl opened her mouth to speak, and when she did, it was an older, much more mature voice that came out.

"Ultera if you so much as breathe on Herutsu again I will rip your tail off, stuff it into your mouth and roast you for the sandworms to eat!" she hissed.

Ultera stared at the human doll in horror, stumbling as she retreated back to her corner.

'Herutsu' fell silent and once again…

…She was lifeless.

The devil's orange eyes were trained on the girl for what seemed like an eternity, waiting for her to move again, but she didn't.  After a moment, the fear that had come over her faded away and was instead replaced with indignation.

Purple tongue sweeping over her burned tail; Ultera nursed herself, eyes darting occasionally in Herutsu's direction.  In the next moment, the large wooden door opened and Elmiryn stepped in, her face neutral.

"You burned my tail!" Ultera snapped.

"Mind how you address me." Elmiryn warned.  Without giving a second glance, she swept past the devil to the cupboards. "I warned you.  I warned you if you did anything stupid I'd make you regret it.  You should feel honored, normally I just kill those who don't listen to me." She took out a champagne glass.

"…When are the proceedings going to begin?" Ultera grumbled, still suffering from a wounded pride.

"Soon.  The others are taking Mr. Valentine to the room now."

"Have you contacted…_them_ yet?"

"No, but I plan to.  I'm eager to put our plans in action."

"You haven't spoken to Kelson in ages.  He'll be cross with you."

"So let him be cross.  He can't hurt me.  I'm not one of his minions to torture and beat at his pleasure."

"And Belial?"

"He made it clear not to disturb him with anything.  So I can't."

Elmiryn took out a champagne bottle and poured herself a glass.  "I think now is a good time to celebrate…"

Ultera growled and hopped off the table she sat on.  "If my services are no longer required, mistress, I'll be going now…" she bowed slightly before turning on her heel and leaving the room, slamming the door behind her.

Elmiryn watched the devil leave with a careless gaze before her eyes flickered back to Herutsu, still sitting in the corner, unmoving.

"Herutsu, darling," Elmiryn purred, stretching out a hand.  "Come here.  There is no reason for you to be sitting so quiet in the corner like that."

Slowly, mechanically, the girl stood from where she sat, and her eyes glazed over still, she hugged Elmiryn around the waist.  The woman smiled and caressed her hair with her free hand, taking a sip of the champagne glass.

"My flesh and blood…you are my heart, Herutsu…I'll die without you.  Next time I'll make sure no one touches you, okay?"

The girl said nothing.

--

"Galliphigers?"

"Yep, that's the name of the street."

"Okay.  And your room number is fourteen?"

"On the second floor in the Moore hotel."

"Got it.  Um…all right.  I guess it's settled.  Are you sure this is all okay?"

"More than okay."

"I'll see you tomorrow then."

"You too."

As Tifa walked away, Beatrix was torn between whooping with delight and kicking herself in the head.  The deal really was sealed now.  There was no going back.  Tifa Lockheart would be coming to their hotel room tomorrow and Yuffie would be the one answering the door.  She was dead meat, really.  But if Yuffie could connect with an old friend like Tifa, then maybe some of the weight keeping her down would be lifted.

Shoving her hands into her coat pockets, Beatrix turned to head back to the store when she saw Ern standing outside, his shoulders hunched and arms crossed.  Scowling, she approached him, "Hey Ern…finish getting your things?"

"W-what do y-y-you think you're doing?" he stammered, shooting her a glare.

Her scowl darkened.  "You were eavesdropping."

He kicked at the snow on the ground with his new sneakers.  "I c-came out looking f-for you when I-I heard." He glared at her again.  "B-Beatrix, Yuffie's g-gonna s-slaughter you!"

Beatrix snorted.  "You don't understand, Ern."  She was surprised he had the nerve to eavesdrop, let alone confront her.  He seemed to be getting more audacious as time went by.  But Beatrix wasn't impressed.

She was annoyed.

"I understand e-enough to kn-kn-know you're meddling!" Ern snapped.

"It's for her own good!"

"L-let Yuffie decide w-what's good for her!!"

"Now what're you two arguing about?"

Julius and Taerk were standing at the shop doors, bags held in their hands.  "What's this about Yuffie?"

Beatrix shook her head.  Ern gave her a look before shaking his head as well.

Julius shrugged.  "Good 'nuff for me."  He jerked his head behind him.  "Meridian and Mikau are paying now.  We can head off for lunch in a bit."

--

"These don't taste as good as the ones in Costa del Sol…"

"Well what'd you expect?  We're in a different town."

"Yeah, but…"

"Oh quit whining!  We got your tortilla chips didn't we?"

Jenila sighed and bit into another chip.  She really couldn't argue with that.

Rae glanced around, "Great…now where are the others?"

Jenila shrugged carelessly.  "I dunno."

"Ugh…come on.  Let's try this street…"

Walking aimlessly around town was not something Rae had been planning, and with Jenila trailing lazily behind her, she was growing increasingly agitated.  They must have looked so unprofessional before…and now they were lost?  Rae may as well quit the mission all together.

Eyes going a little distant she began to remember the light mages, dressed in their white silk robes, sitting high up in their chairs where Rae had to crane her neck to see them.  They often seemed god-like.  Celestial.  Pure.  Absently she recalled Jenila at her side, the both of them kneeling to the light mages the day before they came to this world.  Her voice had barely carried up the stairs to their thrones.  She sounded like mouse.  So small and insignificant…She wanted them to see her.  Wanted them to recognize her.

"Thank you." She had said, her head bowed.  "I'll see to it that Avalanche help us.  Have faith."

Have faith.

Have _faith_ she had said…

Milky eyes looking down at her, they simply nodded and whispered, (because that was how they spoke) "Go now."

So she did.

And here she was.

Thinking back on it now, she really did think it weird that the light mages would even consider giving her and Jenila such a task.  This really was politics.  Shouldn't one of the blue mages be handling the matter then?  They were the aristocrats, the light mage's voice when addressing public affairs and powerful figures.  Why would the light mages give an ice elemental and an aviant (what they called winged angels like Jenila) something like this when they were more suited for battle?

"This 'mission'…" Rae started, eyes lowering to the ground.  "This really is just a farce isn't it?"

Jenila bit into another chip.  "Yep."

Rae slowed to a stop, sighing heavily.  "Jenila, what are we gonna do?"

"What else can we do?  We have to succeed."

"Yes, but just what are we succeeding at?  This is one big goose chase, and after it's all done, they'll try something else.  Something more direct.  And who's to say someone won't try to sabotage our 'mission' now?"

"Yeesh...don't say that, you're gonna make me paranoid."

"Ugh…I know what you mean…Oh!"  Rae pointed down the street, "Hey, that's Cloud!"

Jenila squinted.  "Where?"

"There!  Come on, Barret doesn't look happy…"

"And you want to go TO him!?"

"Shush!"

Cloud waved as they neared, and Rae did the same.  Barret was giving them the most heated of stares, and they both fidgeted beneath his gaze.  Marlene was peeking at them from behind her father's legs, her eyes wide with apprehension.

Rae bowed slightly.  "I'm sorry, Mr. Wallace, for our behavior back at the diner.  We promise it won't happen again."

To their surprise, including Rae's, Jenila bowed as well, holding the bag of tortilla chips behind her.  "Yes, please accept our apology.  We didn't mean to get so carried away.  This doesn't reflect the angel army at all."

Barret and Cloud blinked.

Neither Rae nor Jenila straightened after saying this, and it became clear that they were waiting for Barret to say something.

Flustered, he grunted, "S'all right…I straightened things out at the diner, everything's fine now…" he raised a pointed finger, "But, if I eva' catch yo asses actin' up again, I'll let into both of ya!  Understand!?"

The two straightened.  Jenila mocked a salute, "Yes sir, loud and clear!"

"Yes," said Rae, shooting Jenila a look, "We understand."

"Good." Barret said with a satisfied sniff.

Cloud scratched his head, "So…Barret.  Now that we've explained what's going on, and you've shown us around, what're you gonna do?"

Barret frowned.  "Les' go back to my place first, man.  This ain't the kind of thing to discuss out in public."

So together they all walked back to Barret's house, Cloud and Barret leading while Jenila, Rae, and Marlene trailed behind.

Now that the two women weren't screaming at each other anymore, Marlene didn't feel so apprehensive of them.  In fact, she was staring intently at them both.  Before she had been a shy girl, quiet and wary.  But that was back in Midgar, back in the slums where thugs, hoodlums, and monsters lurked.  Moving here to Corel and going to school had brought her out of her protective shell and was making her quite the talker.  She was still polite, and still very kind, but she was curious and at times it got the best of her.

Jenila, who was growing agitated beneath the girl's gaze, finally couldn't take it anymore.

"Is there something wrong?" she asked, trying not to sound annoyed.  She already had one strike.  She didn't need another.

But Marlene shook her head.  "Nuh, uh.  I just think you two are pretty."

Jenila blushed, and Rae, hearing the remark, gave her a startled look.

Marlene tilted her head to one side.  "Are you two related?"

Jenila frowned, getting over her initial shock.  "No, we're not related…" she looked at Rae, "Do we…look alike?"

The small girl shook her head.  "It's just that…I dunno.  The way you act."

Now it was Rae's turn to frown.  "How we act?"

"Yeah…are you in love?"

The two women sputtered.  Jenila, who was about to eat a chip, dropped it in her surprise.  There was a shrill squeak from above them and all three looked up.

Jenila's face darkened.

Noku.

That stupid faerie.

She had almost completely forgotten about her.

Marlene, who had shrugged the squeak off, continued as if nothing had happened.  "Y'know, if you _are_ in love, then that's okay, 'cuz my teacher says we should accept people for who they are, no matter what."

Jenila who would have joked about it should it have been anything else, was uncharacteristically solemn, "No.  We are not a couple.  Me and Rae are just good friends who have been together all our lives."  Rae nodded mutely in agreement.

Marlene didn't pick up on Jenila's change in demeanor, and only shrugged.  "M'kay."

The girl skipped ahead and put her hand in her father's.  The two women exchanged looks, and then looked off in different directions, their cheeks flaring and eyes clouding over with thoughts.

…Both were thinking the same thing.

--

Yuffie was sitting on the hotel roof, her head resting on her bent knees.  The wind was picking up as the late afternoon changed to early evening.  She wasn't sure where the others were.  But she wasn't worried.  They were probably having a blast right now, which was good.

She could be by herself without anyone bothering her.

…But was solitude what she really wanted?

To be left with ones own confused thoughts, trying to make sense of changes so huge and strange that you could kill yourself over them, replaying vivid dreams of nightmare with different versions of yourself running rampant around in your head, all the while feeling a completely different self pacing back and forth in the back of your mind, waiting to seize control again of your mind and your body…

And quite suddenly, Yuffie didn't want to be alone.  She wanted the others at her side, Beatrix spinning her golden webs of talk while Julius fooled around and Taerk snapped at the two of them to shut up.  She wanted to hear Ern muttering, always muttering about some distant thing, like a prayer, thinking to himself out loud as whatever nonsensical idea shot through his head at that given moment.  She wanted to see Meridian watching over them all with his protective eyes, smiling and nodding, and Mikau at his side, like a shadow, never speaking, always silent.

But the wolves inside them glared through their eyes, glared down at Yuffie as if she were something fun to rip apart.  This scared her other self-witless, and even her true self couldn't help but shudder at the hidden undertones in all that the werewolves did.  Maybe, now that her senses were heightened and her mind crammed chalk full of instinctual knowledge, she could spot all the mannerisms that made Beatrix and the pack _animals_, even in human form.  She didn't like it.  It made her anxious.  It made it harder for her to be friends with them.

Made it harder for her to trust them completely.

Yuffie had it all figured out now.  She was sure she knew what was going on, maybe not in detail, but generally yes.

She was split in two.

One half of her, the human half, still thought like a regular human being.  Still wanted to trust Beatrix and the others, perhaps more out of hope and romantic ideals than common sense.  Then there was the other half.  Her animal half, the one stuck in the back seat, itching to take the steering wheel and direct Yuffie's conscious mind.  This was the half that loved being in cat form, the one that didn't trust the lycans, the one that was more prone to violence and brute force and raw emotion.

The animal side of her was angry at Yuffie's human way of thinking.  Angry that she was so close to falling over the edge in all her confusion.  What was there to be confused about?  Nothing.  Nothing at all.

And that's what the other self told her, hissing from its place in the shadows, cat eyes glinting, teeth gnashing.

There was nothing to mull over.  Nothing to fight, it said.  She was waving her sword at her own reflection, and that just led her in circles.  Useless circles.

Yuffie's ears twitched as her eyes began to narrow.  Slowly, as she listened to the hissing whispers, the dark veil began to creep up her mind from the back, ready to bathe her completely in its shadow.

It was about this time that Yuffie's pink tinted nose quivered, picking up on the scent of _something_…_someone_ that…she knew?  Yuffie tilted her head back a little more so that she could smell the scent better, something far and distant ringing and chiming in her head that she SHOULD know this smell…very well in fact…

But she didn't.  And that's what put her on edge.

There was the light 'kirpish' of paws hitting the roof, and the cat girl whipped around, a hiss slipping through her bared teeth as her instincts immediately put her on guard.

A small cat, with white tipped ears was glaring at her, its paws spread apart in an empowering stance, tail whipping behind it.

--

Panic.

Sprinting through the snow and she felt panic.

Eyes wide she came to an abrupt stop, her tail puffing up a little.

Xia glanced quickly up and down the streets, ears and tail stiff with alert.  She was sure she had seen someone…a necromancer perhaps…or some other minion creature, standing at the street corner before disappearing into another street.  When she had seen them, whoever or whatever they were, her heart had just about stopped.

She had been caught!

Kelson would find out about the Tifa woman, and she would be punished for not saying a word when she should have.

But she saw no one.  She saw nothing.  No red flags went up as she sniffed the air and the ground.

There was just…_nothing._

Flustered, Xia turned back the way she came, trotting at a brisk pace.  But as she rounded the corner, she stopped in her tracks.

The Tifa woman was gone.

Growling, Xia galloped back to where she remembered the woman had stood, and sniffed the ground.  The scent was faint, but once again, she could still trace it.  She lifted her head.

The woman must have gone off to shop, like she had planned.  Xia knew there was only one place that was worth shopping at, mainly because there were so many street vendors there.

It was back in the heart of town, and the walk was not long from where she was, really, at the rate she could go.  Sighing inwardly, Xia began to run down the street, paws crashing through the snow.  She picked up the speed and leaped and bounded her way through the sea of white, darting through legs and scaring a good many pedestrians on the way. 

She could run faster than a normal cat could.  She _was_ a demon after all.

Within no time at all the scent of pretzels wafted into her nostrils, and she knew she was close.

Slowing to a stop, Xia glanced around, trying to see if she could spot Tifa.  There were stores lining up and down the streets, and next to her was the pretzel vendor she had smelled.

Green eyes narrowing, she took a few steps forward, to look past the vendor, and it was about then that her eyes caught onto a set of flaming red hair.  The person was a girl in a trench coat, with pale skin, and she was talking to a woman with long brown hair and a white sweater.

The Tifa woman.

Tongue sweeping once over her lips, Xia slinked past the vendor, using the occasional passerby as cover before proceeding into an alley.  The ladder to the fire escape was up, but undeterred, the neko demon leaned back and with a huge leap, landed onto the metal balcony.  Padding up the stairs, she emerged onto the building rooftop, and down on the street across, she watched the conversation taking place below.  Ears perked, she leaned forward, paws placed on the ledge like palms on a desk when a boss was yelling at his employer.

Xia licked her lips again as she listened.

"…So," She heard Tifa say, "What's your friends name?"

"Sumi." Said the other girl.  "She was born in Wutai, but her family left for Midgar to look for better opportunities.  I used to live in Midgar too.  That's how we met."

"Oh, I see.  So her and Yuffie were childhood friends?"

"Yep.  They were really close before Sumi moved.  After Meteor, when Sumi left Midgar with everyone else, she went back to Wutai to meet Yuffie again.  But then…"

"Yuffie got into a fight with her father and left…"

"Every now and then Yuffie would drop in a line, but then she just stopped.  The last Sumi heard from her was here in Icicle Inn, so she called me and we both came here."

Xia was more than just intrigued now.  She was completely drawn in.  Her tail twitched occasionally and she examined the redhead more closely.

She was a girl, only a few years older than herself.  She wore dark clothes and had a tomboyish look to her.  But there was something offsetting about her appearance.  Xia wasn't sure what it was.  Maybe it was the way she moved and behaved while talking about her friend Sumi, or the eeriness of her eyes, but she was sure something was amiss.

During Xia's thoughts, the two down below had been discussing the directions of the redhead's hotel.  Snapping out of her reverie, Xia tuned back in.

"…Your room number is fourteen?"

"On the second floor in the Moore hotel."

"Got it.  Um…all right.  I guess it's settled.  Are you sure this is all okay?"

"More than okay."

"I'll see you tomorrow then."

"You too."

The cat demon watched as Tifa walked away before snapping her eyes back onto the red head who proceeded up the street.

Eyes trained on the girl, Xia moved across the rooftop, leaping up onto the ledge so she wouldn't lose sight of her quarry.  Leaping onto the next building, she followed the strange girl for a little ways on before the girl stopped in front of a men's clothing store.

The girl greeted a mousy looking man, who looked like he had been waiting for her.  From where she was, Xia could tell he was not pleased.

"W-what do y-y-you think you're doing?" he stammered, ignoring her greeting.

The girl's voice turned menacing.  "You were eavesdropping." She said slowly.

He kicked at the snow on the ground with his sneakers.  "I c-came out looking f-for you when I-I heard.  B-Beatrix, Yuffie's g-gonna s-slaughter you!"

'Beatrix' snorted.  "You don't understand, Ern."

"I understand e-enough to kn-kn-know you're meddling!" 'Ern' snapped.

"It's for her own good!"

"L-let Yuffie decide w-what's good for her!!"

Now Xia was confused.  Didn't the girl just say that she didn't know where Yuffie was?  Why would she lie to Tifa like that?  But then it clicked.  The 'Beatrix' girl was doing this without Yuffie's knowledge.  But she still didn't understand why she had to keep it a secret from Tifa.  It seemed she was just causing trouble.

Xia didn't like that.

The cat demon watched with flattened ears as others came from the store, apparently friends of the two who were just talking.  They all seemed strange like the Beatrix girl, and Xia licked her lips in anxiety, not liking how this was all making out.  As she followed them, she examined each of the five new individuals, trying to pick out just what made them all so…odd.

To be honest, whatever it was, it was making Xia nervous.  And she hated being nervous about anything.  Hated the hesitation that jammed and stiffened her legs as she followed the group.

They entered a restaurant and Xia watched as they ate.  They all had huge appetites and she found herself being increasingly disgusted.

How much meat did humans need to eat anyway?

But a thought occurred to her, and her fur puffed up just a little as its sharp claws graced her mind.

…How many had Kelson said were in the lycan pack?  …Six?

Unconsciously, she ducked down, shivering.

Wolves!  She was dealing with a pack of _wolves!_

And Yuffie?  What did this Yuffie character have to do with all of this?  And where was the half-breed that Kelson had said was traveling with the lycans?

Xia peeked meekly over the ledge, her tail sweeping the roof.

The lycans were leaving the restaurant now.  Xia ducked back down behind the ledge and bared her teeth.  She had to get a grip on herself.  She had to find out where the lycans lived and just what this meant for the Tifa woman.

Her primal instincts were telling her to run, but she had learned how to control them.  Learned how to keep a level head and ignore them when she wanted to.

"Leave me Lamina…" she hissed, tensing her muscles.  "Go away!"

The hisses and whispers coming from the back of her mind silenced and she gave a short sigh before hopping up onto the ledge again.

The pack was turning the corner onto another street, and Xia hurried after them from the rooftops, biding her time, listening in on their conversations…As the evening came, Xia began to get annoyed.  Just how much longer would it take before these beasts went to rest?  They were going in and out of shops, rarely buying anything, horse playing around and talking about nothing of use.  What stupid creatures.  They were wasting her time.  She had to check back at the warehouse, or else Kelson would be upset with her again, and she was sure the second time around he would find nothing cute about her tardiness.

Finally, after coming out of yet another store empty handed, the silver haired one, the seeming leader of the group, said, "I think it's time to go back now…We've really lost track of time."

The red headed man looked up and whistled.  "Yeah…your right.  Yuffie probably is wondering where we are."

Xia rolled her eyes skyward.

It was about time.  She swore, if she had to stomach yet another hair brained joke or pointless conversation she'd go jump in a lake.

Following the group carefully, her heart began to hammer harder with each street passed and each whoop from the group below.

Would the half-breed be there at the hotel, waiting with Yuffie?  Xia vaguely remembered Yuffie from some photos in the newspaper.  She was quite notorious really.  She was known as the thief that had managed to worm her way into Avalanche with her cunning and pesky tactics.  She didn't know how Tifa and her could have become friends, considering their story, but the battlefield could make friends of the strangest kinds.  …That was what Terrick always told her anyway.

Terrick often told her a lot of things.  Some went in and out of her head like a cup with the bottom cut out, but Terrick was patient with her, and understood her better than anyone else.  He knew she didn't like to talk much.  Not since her parents had been killed.  He also understood how to read her expressions and movements to the point that he didn't need words to know how she felt, or what she thought.  He had been a surrogate brother, and it was he that had taken Xia along with him to this world.  As far as she was concerned he was family.

And she missed him terribly.

The neon lights from the Moore hotel sign washed her furry face and the snow around her in a pinkish glow, the second 'o' flickering occasional.  Glancing down at the street, she saw the lycans enter the building.

Well, here it was.

Jumping off the two-story building, Xia trotted across the street into the alley next to the hotel.  Once again using the fire escape, the cat demon climbed her way up to the roof when a scent began to tickle her nose.

Blinking slowly, she stopped and sniffed, her mind tingling in recognition.

That smelled like…but no…no it _couldn't_ be, it was different!

Bounding up the last steps of the metal stairs, Xia jumped onto the roof, stumbling in her haste.

Where was he!?

She glanced around wildly, her tail wiggling behind her.

Where was Terrick!?

…But as she looked, she didn't see Terrick…Instead, she saw a girl, the hood of her coat flipped up as she gazed at the horizon, which was quickly turning rosy.

The fur along Xia's spine raised and her entire body tensed as she spread her paws out a little, ready to run, dodge, or attack at any given moment.

The girl stiffened and turning sharply, she hissed and bared her teeth…

This wasn't just a girl.  This was the-

"Half-breed…" Xia hissed, her tail lashing.

The half-breed narrowed her eyes as she slipped off her seat on the ledge, crouching down into a gargoyle like stance.

"…Who are you?" she asked slowly, "And what do you want?"

"Speak your name." Xia snapped back, growing angry for some reason.

The half-breed snorted, "I asked first."

Xia bared her teeth, "My identity not important…yours is.  Where's the Yuffie girl?  And why you with the lycans?"

The girl stared at her.  The slow, wary surprise had faded from her voice.  She was growing angry herself now, Xia could tell.  "You think I'm going to tell you anything?" the half-breed snapped.  "And what the hell do you mean, 'Where's the Yuffie girl'?" but then her face went blank, as if realizing something, and Xia stared at her in disbelief.

"You're…Yuffie?" she whispered, her body relaxing a little.

Yuffie blinked, "I'm…I-" she squeezed her eyes shut, "Goddammit!  Who are you!  Tell me, you little twerp or I'll bash your skull in!"

Yuffie leapt at her, but her shoulder, though feeling better, wasn't ready for such a sharp move, and when she reached for Xia with her bad arm, she cried out.  Quickly she withdrew her arm, turning to the side some as she did so.  The force of the turn made her lose her balance, and she only managed to right herself in a way that made her fall hard onto her knees.  There she slouched in pain, cradling her shoulder.  Xia had leapt out of her way easily and only stared at her.

_This_ was Yuffie?  THE Yuffie Kisaragi?  Member of Avalanche and friend and comrade of Tifa Lockheart?  But…but she-

"…What happened?" Xia murmured, taking a step back.

She smelled like Terrick.  Sure the scent was different, but it was there.  And didn't Kelson say she could use the power of lightning?  It was wrong…all wrong…there was only two ways half-breeds were created in their kind.  Either through two parents of different races, or the ancient joining of body and soul.  Terrick couldn't have…he just…no…it was all wrong…

Xia squeezed her eyes shut, trying to dispel the horrible truth from her mind.  It was too much for her to digest.  She felt like running away, far from the half-breed that stared back at her like a ghost.  She wanted to run till she couldn't feel her legs.

This wasn't right.

It was all _wrong._

Shaking, she reluctantly opened her eyes again, and with one last look at Yuffie, Xia turned her back.  Yuffie straightened and, breathing harshly, glared at the cat demon.  Without moving, Xia whispered.  "Take the Tifa woman and your friends and leave this place…" she turned her head slightly.  "Leave or be killed."  And with that, Xia jumped; jumped so hard she flew across the street entirely, landing on the building across, where she disappeared down the fire escape and into the darkness of the alley.

Yuffie stared after the demon in disbelief, trying to make out just what had happened.  Her shoulder was throbbing with dull pain now, and slowly she stood to her feet. 

For the longest time, she just stood staring in the direction the demon had went, her words echoing over and over in her head.

Take the Tifa woman and your friends and leave this place…Leave…

…Leave or be killed…

--

When Marlene had been sent to bed, Jenila, Rae, Cloud, and Barret all sat down in the living room, the ticking of the clock the only noise filling the void that was in the air.

Cloud leaned back on the couch, crossing his arms.  "All right, enough stalling.  We're inside and Marlene's up in her room.  What're you gonna do, Barret?"

Barret interlaced his fingers, his bionic hand contrasting sharply with his human hand.  "Look, I hea' what ya'll are telling me.  But I got business to take care of here and I can't just 'poof', disappear, ya know?  But I can give ya guys one of them new cell phone dealies and a car to take.  I'll try an call Cid and Reeve," he made a face, "But your gonna have to reach Red yourself.  That place is still a bitch to reach."

"Thanks Barret…"

"No problem, man…I'm sorry I kept you three so long.  But it's just been nice to see ya, Cloud, you know?  You should visit more!"

"Hey I'm sorry about that…I dunno, just haven't been in the best of shape lately."

"S'all right, man.  Why don't you three stay the night?  Ya'll got a long drive in the morning."

Rae smiled, "Thank you, very much Mr. Wallace."

Barret grunted, "Eh.  Don't call me that…makes me feel old."

"Sorry…"

Jenila muttered to Rae out of the corner of her mouth, "Ever the proper little soldier?"

Barret stood, "Lemme' show you your rooms."

The three of them stood from the couch, and began to follow Barret to the stairs when Cloud stopped.

"Oh."

He looked up, "Noku, you still there?"

"Yep." Came the bodiless reply.

Barret stared, a disbelieving frown on his face.  "The hell?"

Cloud pointed at the air, "Remember back at the diner I said I'd explain what was going on?"

There was a small flash of green light, and Noku fluttered around in the air, giggling.

Barret's mouth dropped.

--

Hisses, whispers and shadows beckoned the sleeping child out of the safety of her dreams and into the dark jungle of light and dark that was her room.  Eyes easing open, she let out a yawn and a cold breeze brushed itself against her cheek.

Marlene sat up in bed, drowsy eyed and holding her teddy bear close to her chest.  "Who's there?" she whispered nervously as the sleep left her.  No answer.  Slowly, she got out of bed and moved slowly toward the window, shaking.  There were no such things as monsters, she told herself over and over.  Daddy said so.  Gathering her courage she tried again.  "I asked who's there!"

Apologies, breezy and flippant blew in from the open window and Marlene's eyes widened as it whistled against her ears.  Invisible hands caressed her hair, promising friendship.  The shadows whispered one name.

"…Lyle?" Marlene gripped her teddy bear tighter.  "W-What do you want?"  Confidence was leaving her as quickly as it came.

The invisible hands, still stroking her hair back, whispered and hissed promises of fun and games.  The curtains at her window blew into the air, the fabric brushing gently against her sides, beckoning her to the world outside.

"…I can't." she whispered, sounding pained.  "I'll get in trouble!  Besides, you're a stranger.  I'm not even supposed to _talk_ to strangers."

The breeze toyed with her hair, teasing her cheeks.  She giggled in spite of her self.  The curtains blew more insistently around her, however, and the giggles died on her lips.  As solemnly as she could, she asked, "How can I trust you?"

A chuckle somewhere distant came in response to her question, and the breeze whistled lazily.  A leaf fluttered up and into her window from a small tree down below, and surprised, Marlene caught it with her hand.

"…Really?  But…my papa…"

The curtains whipped about her in a torrent, and she recoiled slightly, listening with wide eyes as hisses and whispers from the dark of the room and the wind outside spoke to her angrily.  As Marlene listened, a frown formed on her face.

"…He gives me lots of things and he worries about me all the time.  Just because he's not sure about me going to Gold Saucer-"

Marlene watched in awe as the window slowly slid shut and the curtains stilled and pulled themselves shut as well.  The shadows were advancing on her, claws outstretched, beckoning…

The small girl turned and shook her head vehemently at them.  "How do you know?  He hasn't said anything!"

The shadows pointed to her bedside table.  Shaking, she looked and her eyes widened.  On the table was a picture of her, when she was much younger, on her father's shoulder.  The frame turned with in an invisible hand, showing the picture to her in full.

"…What secret?"

Suddenly, with a chink, a crack appeared where Barret's face was, and Marlene jumped, turning pale.  The room was very dark…

"But-"

Threatening the shadows pooled at her feet, and she took a step back into the window.

"You mean Jenila and Rae?"

Suddenly the door across from her seemed menacing.  It stared at her ominously, towering with dark intentions…

"B-but…they're nice!"

The shadows lapped at her feet, she stared down at them in disbelief as more whispers nestled in her ears.

"…And Cloud?"

Thump.  Marlene's teddy bear lie at her feet, button eyes glaring up at her.  She shook her head, hair falling about her pale face.

"But he was just busy, it wasn't his fault he didn't visit…"

The stench of alcohol singed her nose and she recoiled as the shadows bore down on her from above.  Sinking down onto the floor, she hugged her knees.

"…I…"

Without the aid of the wind, the curtains fell about her, brushing against her tense shoulders and fear riddled face.

"…All right…All right," 

Marlene lifted her head slightly and whispered in a barely audible voice, as if she were afraid to hear herself.

"…I'll go with you, Lyle."

--

"Jenila…can you sleep?"

"…No, not really."

"I'm still worrying."

"…Me too."

"They actually think…"

"…And they want us out for it."

"They can't get rid of us based on a hunch-"

"-So they need us to mess up."

"We can't mess up, Jenila."

"No.  We can't, Rae."

Lying on a queen sized bed, Rae and Jenila were lying as far as they could from each other, turning their backs and staring at the walls.

"Great Alexander." Rae breathed,  "The last missions we did were so dangerous.  But on dumb luck, we got out fine.  I thought they were just testing us for some promotion or something.  Were they just trying to kill us off?"

"You think Ulysses had a hand in this?" Jenila said, turning a little, "Or was it the light mages? …Or both?  I really can't think of anyone else who would even gain with our being rubbed out.  I mean, we're just two field angels, we hold no power or say in much of anything as far as big important decisions go…"

"I think it's more complicated then we think."

"I didn't believe in this mission from the start…it sounded so _mundane_…but Crux I never thought…"

"I actually believed this was important."  Rae chuckled dryly, "I actually thought they were honoring us somehow, for all the things we did for them.  'No more life risking missions for us, no…now all we had to do was convince a couple of world famous heroes to help fight against the demons…piece of cake.'  I feel like such a fool."

"Rae…you know better than I do that you never trusted the light mages to begin with."

"If that's true then why am I here? …The same goes for you."

Jenila didn't say anything.  She turned onto her back and looked at Rae with a frown.

Rae continued, her back still turned.  She was gripping the corner of her pillow tightly, her eyes glowing a little.  "We really did trust them, Jenila.  We had to.  They created us remember?  As far as we're concerned they're our parents.  If we didn't trust _them_, who could we trust?"

"Don't say that." Jenila hissed, sitting up. "Don't you dare say that.  We had each other remember?  Even they know that.  It's always been that way."

"If we didn't trust them, then we'd be dead right now." Rae said tonelessly, ignoring Jenila.  "And that's a fact.  There are no traitors in the angel army.  And there never will be.  What they don't want, they exile…and if they really prove to be a problem, then they kill them."

"Rae stop it."

"Why else are the queers stuck outside the gates of Haven, Jenila?  Because they're different.  Because, according to the hierarchy, they are the blemishes of society.  Commoners get it easy.  If they're found out to be queers, they just get kicked out into the wastelands.  The queers in the _military_ are the ones who get crucified.  It doesn't matter how much they stick their our necks out for them, fight for them, _kill_ for them.  They are the ones they hate more then anything.  It's always been that way.  They hate homosexuals.  They hate demons.  They hate anything different.  They hate anyone who tries to make _change_…"

"Rae _stop_… I think I hear Noku…"

The two fell silent and a second later there was a sharp rap on the door.  Jenila stood from the bed and opened the door, squinting in the light of the faerie's glow.  "What?" she snapped.

Noku was hovering, wringing her little hands in worry.  "Something's wrong." She breathed.  "I dunno what it is.  I felt this presence and I went all over to try and find it, but I couldn't.  But I think something powerful might have just been here."

Rae sat up in bed.  "What do you think it is, Noku?"

Noku shook her head, "No idea, I've never sensed a power like that before…"

Jenila sighed, "Well, what did it feel like?"

"Horrible.  And cold.  It was coming off the walls practically.  But it wasn't strong, it was kind of transparent, like…I dunno, like a skunk odor when it's wearing off.  I'm not surprised you didn't sense it."

Frowning, Jenila moved past Noku, "Could you find the origin?"

"No…that's the weirdest part."

Her frown deepening, Jenila stopped at Marlene's door.  Dropping her voice, she said "Noku, I think you'd better-"

As she opened the door to the little girl's room, the angel stopped dead and stared. 

"…Marlene?"

The room was empty.  The bed sheets were bare, crumpled, and the room filled with a cold unwelcoming, a lingering aura hanging in the air.

Lying next to the window was Marlene's teddy bear, forgotten on the floor…

----

A/N:  Ahhh…well, I've been slaving over this and the next chapters like crazy these past few days.  I swear I've never felt so insecure about what I've written before.  It really sucks.  I kept reading over this chapter billions of times, most of the time not ever changing or doing anything but just seeing if it was okay or if it worked out.  After the billionth and one time I've read it, I've decided there can't possibly be anything I missed and that it's more than ready to be posted.  I realize this isn't the grand chapter you were all waiting for, and quite frankly, neither is the next (which is also up) but just keep in mind that I'm getting there.  Entering some super delicate situations and I really don't want to give you guys something half-assed.

Next chapter should be up soon…it SHOULD be, once I work everything out smoothly enough.

Thank you all for reading, please be sure to leave a review…


	14. Tifa's Diary: Entry I

Am I being naïve?  Have I lost my touch?  I think I've gotten myself into something, and I'm afraid to move.  Do I pull out or don't I?  Here, I'll explain, I guess I'm not making much sense right now…

Earlier today I thought I saw Yuffie at the IBS, but it wasn't her.  It was some other girl, with really creepy contacts that made her look like a cat.  I got such a scare when I saw her face…she was so pale!  I apologized and left, but the girl had a friend with her, who I met later while browsing some stores.

She said her name was Beatrix and that the person I confused with Yuffie was her friend Sumi.  Sumi and Yuffie supposedly know each other, so when she saw me, she froze.  According to Beatrix, Sumi had been in contact with Yuffie while she disappeared, but when she didn't hear from her again, she got scared and came to the last place she knew Yuffie had been.

Here.

Maybe I'm getting my hopes up for no reason.  This Sumi person doesn't even know where Yuffie is…but then again, who am I to say these people are trustworthy to begin with?  They could be crazed maniacs trying to kill me for all I know.  I could be getting lead into a trap.

Maybe I'm just being idealistic.  I WANT to believe everything that Beatrix told me, and I WANT to believe that I'll get something out of it.  After the unexciting slump my life has taken, I don't see myself doing anything else worth my time really.

…You know…I think that's what I'm going to do now.

I'm not going to live in Icicle Inn.

I'm going to find Yuffie and Vincent.

Because…just because they deserved to be found.

Tomorrow I go to Galliphiger Avenue, the Moore hotel, second floor, to room fourteen to meet the person who could possibly hold the answers I need to find Yuffie again.  Beatrix said any time would be fine for me to meet them…Maybe I'll go in the afternoon, or in the evening.  I don't want to go too early, for fear I'll wake them. (The two girls both looked young, I have no idea how late they sleep in, assuming they do) I suppose I'll just know when the time is right.

P.S.  I have to start remembering to leave the window open for Spider.  (The cat from before) I'm not really sure I can say I 'own' her now.  Somehow, I don't think Spider is someone to be owned.

…Oh there I go.  Sometimes I get confused whether or not I should call Spider 'her' or 'it'.  She's just so…_human_.  I can't explain it really.  I guess that's why I end up talking to her like she's a person without meaning to.  Oh, I hope I'm not going crazy…


	15. In The End

_"Our lives run different ways  
Through the rain I see you in the sun  
Our star shines anyway  
If you wish upon it we are one."_

_The Offspring - Genocide_

Numb.

She couldn't feel her fingers, her legs or toes, her face, her arms; her whole _body_ was totally numb.  She wasn't sure how long she stood on that roof staring down at the streets below, the cold night blowing at her hair.  It was quickly becoming…surreal.  All of it.

The air she was breathing

The sounds of the town.

The stars up in the sky.

Was what just happened _real?_  A demon.  She had spoken to her first demon.  Up till this moment they had only been a word, a myth in her subconscious.  But she had actually SPOKEN to one.  Yuffie felt sick.  Sitting heavily on the building ledge, she took a shuddering breath, closing her eyes as she tried to suppress the nausea that was washing over her.

Leave or be killed.

That didn't just include her and the others…

That included Tifa too.

And as far as she knew, the fighter had no clue as to the danger she was in.  Frankly, neither did the werewolves, who were sure that they were safe for the time being.  It was up to Yuffie to tell them…ALL of them, of the axe hanging over their necks.  It would be easy to tell the lycans, sure.  But she also had to tell Tifa, and that meant confronting someone she hadn't spoken to in two years and revealing who she really was.

Yuffie didn't want to.

She was scared.

And the demon?  She had found them all out, but apparently…she hadn't said a word.  Why else would she have tried to warn them?  Or maybe the demons did know, and she had come in prelude to an attack.  All at her own risk.  Would she be found out?  Would her sacrifice be for nothing?  Yuffie didn't want it to be.  But then, her fears of facing Tifa were scheduling her plans on the twelfth of never, and Yuffie didn't even have time to waste.

--

Xia moved past the necromancers like a ghost, eyes unfocused and her arms limp at her sides.  Tail dragging a little on the floor, her feet moved on their own, but she trusted them to carry her to her bed, where she planned to curl up and not move for a long time.

Snatches of Terrick's face flashed through her mind, fading in and out of view before disappearing completely.

Terrick, with his jet -black hair and electric blue eyes.  His skin, pale as usual, his face wearing a warm smile, ever tolerant of Xia's impatience and her un-intending brashness.  Why did he have to go?  To give his life to a human he knew was the enemy?

Flopping lifelessly onto her mattress, Xia closed her eyes and tried to find reason in it all.  But the more she thought about it, the more confused she became.  There _was_ no reason, as far as she was concerned.  None of it made _sense._

…But Terrick always had a reason for everything he did.  He wouldn't do something as final as that without a good reason.  Xia just wished she knew what it was.

Her thoughts were interrupted when a screech pierced her ears, causing them to go flat against her head.  Raising her head, she scowled back at the necromancers in annoyance.

What were they doing now?

There was a group nearby, standing around a cauldron.  Purple light washing their faces, they looked sinister, smirking as their concoction began to bubble and froth.  There was another screech and a split second later, something gray and transparent emerged from the cauldron.  Xia's tail fluffed up and she pushed her self onto her knees, eyes widening.

Huge and hulking with large, broad shoulders and practically no neck, this_ thing_, whatever it was, looked like something out of a nightmare.  It's toned, lithe body was muscular, and Xia was sure if it wanted to, it could wring her neck easily.  Faintly she could make out something like an exoskeleton, it's long, dinosaur like tail swaying idly from side to side.  As far as the cat girl was concerned the creature had no eyes, and at first glance its mouth looked rather small, too small for it to eat anything.  But when it opened its mouth in full, as if by magic, the jaw lengthened and widened and freakishly long sharp teeth that seemed to come out of nowhere now glinted back at Xia with such a smug undertone that unconsciously she shrank back.  Stretching its long arms, the creature let out a hiss…

"It's a specter."

Xia jumped and her head snapped around to see Kelson standing at the end of her mattress, his hands shoved into his pockets.  He had a cold look about him, and she shifted uneasily.  She had forgotten to check in with him when she got here.

Kelson wasn't looking at her.  He was watching the necromancers tend to the specter with narrowed eyes.

"The necromancers took the wraiths and evolved it into that…Do you want to know how?"

Xia didn't say anything, but it didn't seem like Kelson was expecting an answer, because he continued anyway.  "The wraiths were shadows made solid with base level black magic, and given life by the negative energy caused by humans and animals.  When the wraiths failed their mission at the cabin, I gave the necromancers the last survivor's corpse, and told them to make it better.  So they took higher levels of black magic and charged the corpse, then took angry souls of humans from the life stream and, with the charged corpse, put it in a brew with the blood of an innocent.  The end result is a specter."

Xia blinked.  Did he _actually_ expect her to remember all that?

"Tired, Xia?" he asked, giving her a sidelong glance.

The girl nodded, sitting down on the mattress.

Kelson looked back at the specter.  "Did you see anything today?"

Xia slowly shook her head.

Kelson's brows furrowed and he turned, "Get some rest Xia…"

She watched him as he walked away, and looking back at the specter…

…She shivered.

--

Yuffie slipped in through the open hotel window, landing on the ground soundlessly, crouching and giving the still silhouettes in the room a wary glance.

The others were asleep.

She could hear their deep rhythmic breathing and her muscles relaxed when she was sure no one would question her for her disappearance.  She felt guilty and found the feeling ironic, like a teenager sneaking back after a long night of partying and feeling bad for what they may have put their parents through.  Moving to a corner, she leaned against the wall, the tip of her tail flicking occasionally.

Silently, Yuffie watched as the others slept, their chests rising and falling steadily.  Her eyes having adjusted to the light, she could make out each of the sleeping werewolves faces; from Julius, who was sleeping on the floor next to the door; Mikau who was lying on the floor next to the bed; Beatrix who was lying on one side of the bed, Meridian the other, and Taerk sleeping precariously at the end; and Ern, who was sleeping huddled on the floor only some four feet away from Yuffie.

…At least, she thought he was asleep.

The mousy man began to stir, and Yuffie's eyes honed in on him, her ears twisting in his direction.

Slowly he sat up and looked at her with sleep squinted eyes.  "Yuffie?"

She made a small shushing sound and nodded her head once.  "Yeah it's me."  She whispered.

He rubbed the back of his neck, "W-Where'd ya g-go?" he stuttered back softly.

Yuffie shrugged dismissively.  "I was just on the roof."

"Oh." Ern licked his lips and looked down at his new shoes, which he still hadn't taken off.  "Y-Yuffie."

She raised an eyebrow at him.  She was getting the feeling he was going to say something, like last time, but this time she didn't say anything and waited somewhat impatiently for him to say what he wanted to say.  But when the man tried to speak, the words stopped short at the first letter, and he strained to get the rest out.  He swallowed and squeezed his eyes shut as he kept stuttering.

"B-B-B-B-B-"

After a moment, he gave up, growling softly.  Rubbing at his face, he shook his head.  Yuffie was a bit relieved he stopped.  She was afraid he was going to wake someone up with his stammering.

"I'm s-sorry, Yuffie…" he sighed, looking downcast.

She frowned at him, "Why are you sorry?"

"I-" he stopped and glanced at her, "J-just am."

Frown deepening, Yuffie looked at him carefully.  Slowly, her eyes softened.  "…Well…then…I'm sorry too…"

"W-Why?"

"I dunno…just am…"

"Oh…"

"Yep…"

"Y-Yuffie?"

"Hmm?"

"G'night."

"Night Ern."

She watched as he lay back down onto the floor, curling into his secure little ball once more, all the while smiling idly to herself.  Ern may have been older than her.  But sometimes, when he wasn't being creepy, he could be so adorable.

Thoughts returning to her dilemma, the cat girl turned her head, eyes looking out the window in vain hope of somehow finding her answer in the night sky.

All night she looked.

When morning came, it did so quietly.  Yuffie, still awake, bit her knuckle as she gazed out the window at the dawn painted buildings.  The others woke soon after the sun rose over the horizon.  Ears twisting in their direction, Yuffie glanced at them distractedly, her thoughts consumed with her worries.

Beatrix sat up from the bed, rubbing at her eyes.  She glanced around drowsily before focusing on Yuffie looking out the window.  Sighing inwardly, she said, as cheerfully as she could, "Good morning, Yuffie."

The cat girl mumbled a 'good morning' in response, not tearing her gaze from the window.

Biting her lip, Beatrix swung her legs over the side of the bed and began putting her boots on.

"What are we going to be doing today?" she asked, not looking up.

Meridian, who was putting on his own shoes, glanced briefly over his shoulder.  "We're going to call that man in Kalm.  We need to set up a meeting to buy more bombs since we used all of them to blow up the cabin-"

"How can we forget, all our things went up with it…" Taerk muttered.

"-Once all of that is settled, we can continue as planned."

Yuffie didn't say anything to this, only turned her head from the window to look at him.  Her eyes were borderline hostile, but the lycan didn't take notice.

Yuffie, in many cases, thought Meridian was a very good pack leader, looking out for the well being of his pack and always listening to what the others had to say, no matter how mundane it was.  But at the same time she thought he wasn't cut out for the job.  He was still susceptible to succumbing to his emotions and desires like the others were, and a bit naïve when it came to the true danger they were all in.

…Or maybe he was well aware of the danger, but knew he had no need to fear it.

Yuffie looked back out the window, her eyes lighting up as an idea hit her.

She remembered Meridian telling her that the demons had no desire to be discovered by the humans.  For them to attack in the face of so many people would be foolish.  As long as they remained in the company of the ignorant, they were safe!  ALL of them!

But then Yuffie remembered what the cat demon had said before and her hope faded as quickly as it came.

The demons had already proved to them that they weren't above using stealth to kill.  The shadow wraiths blended almost perfectly within the dark surrounding that had been their cabin.  If Yuffie hadn't hit them with her Greased Lightning, they wouldn't have stood a chance really.  There were too many of them to keep track of and much too hard to see.  Who were to say the demons wouldn't try another attack like that again?  If done right, the public would never have to know.  This, once again, brought up the question of whether or not the demons knew where Beatrix and the others were, or whether they knew where Tifa was.  It all rested on that one cat demon, and Yuffie obviously couldn't ask her.

When she realized she was only walking herself into another round of circles again, Yuffie stopped her train of thought.

The others were finished getting ready, and the ninja gave them a half-hearted smile.  "You guys going out for breakfast?"

Julius nodded, "Yep.  You're coming right?"

Yuffie shook her head, "Nah…I'll catch up with you guys later."

Beatrix grinned, "That's okay, we'll be fine on our own.  If you get hungry you can eat some of that food we brought from yesterday." She pointed to the white box tray lying next to the bed.  With no small amount of zeal, the red head started for the door, "I get to pick the restaurant this time!"

All of them stared after her.

Julius, scratching the back of his head, muttered, "What's she up to now?"

Meridian sighed.  Looking down at Yuffie, he said, "Please, Yuffie, eat something.  You shouldn't starve yourself."

Julius gave her a cheeky smile; "See you in a bit, Yuffie!"

Taerk nodded at her curtly on his way out.  Mikau gave her an unreadable look before following after him, Meridian in tow.

Standing unsurely, Ern raised a hand and opened his mouth, but when Yuffie gave him a curious look, he sighed and gave up.  Waving dejectedly at her, he trudged out the door.

Yuffie blinked.  "Well that was weird…" she muttered as she stood, wincing from her stiff muscles.  Lying gingerly on the bed, the cat girl eyed the uneven plane that was the sheets, crumpled and wrinkled as they were.  They made unique grooves and tentatively she smoothed them out.  Then she frowned and sat up, staring at her hand, then her shoulder.  Pulling off her coat and tossing it onto the floor, her eyes widened in surprise as she saw the spot where the wraith had bit her, was now practically healed.  The skin still looked raw, like skin does once its just finished healing and the scab comes off.  She rotated her shoulder, and though she could still detect a hint of pain and a mild stiffness, it was really barely noticeable.

Maybe being a half-demon meant she healed faster?

Slowly she lied back down onto the bed and sighed, once again gazing across the uneven plain that was the sheets.  She closed her eyes for a moment thinking to herself:

She wasn't going to go to sleep.

She was just resting her eyes.

But coherent thought left her as sleep wrapped itself around her conscious mind, dragging her down into its black, numbing waters…

--

It was amazing the different things one could see while staring up at the ceiling…like for instance the different yellow stains that formed over the years that management prayed you'd never take notice to.  Or for instance the numerous little holes that looked like they at one point housed screws, though you had no idea why or what for.  Or the spider scuttling hurriedly across, trying frantically to make it back to its web before its inevitably smashed with a shoe.  Yes.  The ceiling could be quite an interesting thing to look at.  Especially if you stared long enough so that it rippled, and little faces came smiling at you from the grooves…

Tifa lie spread eagle on the bed, her hair fanning out beneath her as she stared unblinkingly upwards.  She never lied down like this on her back.  It was too free spirited a position for her, and made her feel awkward.

But now, by herself where no one would see, Tifa lay, breathing so deeply that one could say she was asleep.  In actuality she was in a form of mental preparation, focusing on the ceiling above while trying to keep her body as relaxed as possible, almost putting her in a meditative state.

Fingers splayed out and palms facing upward, Tifa remembered Yuffie used to do this whenever they were out traveling across fields.  Every time they stopped she tried to take a moment to gaze up at the sky, leaving imprints in the grass.  It was the few times the others could rest from her constant chatter; Tifa had to resist laughing at the thought.  The girl had talked so much!  And she was so arrogant, it was all the team could do but grit their teeth. 

At first it was just Yuffie who laid back like this, staring up at the clouds and the birds…but then Aeris joined her, soon followed by Red XIII.  Tifa had considered lying down with them once, but then she thought against it, and stayed with the others, who only shook their heads.  Barret and Cid often muttered about 'daydreamers' and 'hippies'. 

Tifa wasn't sure why she found it so hard to just let go and lie out in the grass, but she never could muster up the courage to just do it.

Even now (and Tifa found this ironic) she had to do it in doors, where no one could see her.  Fingers twitching, the fighter blinked, coming out of her reverie.  Sitting up slowly, she ran a hand through her hair and looked out the window.

It was late morning, and the afternoon was quickly descending on the town outside.  The woman bit her lip and turned, staring down at her shoes.  She supposed it was time to go.

Scooting off the bed, she grabbed a small pack that she had brought along in her suitcase, inside it were some of the basics:  standard ID, IBS card, some gil, breath mints…

And also her journal.

She figured if she were going to start looking for Yuffie and Vincent, she'd need something to take notes with…

Swinging the small leather pack onto her shoulder, Tifa left the hotel, making sure to avoid Mr. Marten on her way out.

There was still caution tape blocking the entrance to the alley next, and trying to ignore it, the woman walked briskly, trying to feel optimistic and purposeful…

When she realized she actually had to try she slowed to a stop, an unsure look coming across her face.

Was this worth it?  Tifa glanced once over her shoulder, before starting to walk again, this time at a slower pace.  With each step she only became more and more nervous, and quickly her mind began to be crowded with second thoughts.

Looking up she tried to find her reason for doing this.

Above she saw a cloud in the sky.  A single cloud.  It looked…weak, being transparent around the edges and rather thin.  Tifa felt sorry for it.

Then Tifa stopped again and made a face.

She was feeling sorry?

…For a _cloud?_

She looked down the street and saw the corner where she needed to make her first turn.  She looked up again at the cloud and flashes of Yuffie, Aeris, and Red XIII all laying on their backs flew through her mind.

Face set, Tifa started walking again.

--

Xia sat on the bench in the park, watching with disinterest as the kids laughed and played.  This was where she and the Tifa woman spent those few times together.  She wasn't sure whether or not she would ever see the woman again.  But she knew she couldn't risk trying to see her now, if she were even still here.  It was much too risky.  Xia had put her in enough danger already.

Stupid.

So stupid.

Xia felt the weight sitting on her heart and made no effort to move it.  Made no effort to alleviate the pressure it was putting on her.  Surely it would kill her.

Surely.

But she really didn't care at the moment.

The Tifa woman was leaving.  Terrick was gone.  And now Kelson was all that she had…considering she ever had him to depend on to begin with. 

The specters scared her.  Like the wraiths, they had no scent.  After all, they were made of shadows mostly.  But creating such horrible monsters as those…what exactly was Kelson planning?  Maybe he was already on to her.  On to the Tifa woman.  As long as the fighter escaped all right, she was fine.  She wasn't all so afraid of death really.  No.

If it meant she could see her mama and papa again then she wasn't afraid of it at all.

The both of them had died in the ongoing war against the angels when she was very young.  Their deaths were just another casualty.  And she, just another victim.  Terrick, who was the son of a famous general and often fought alongside his father, had come in contact with her parents often.  When he heard about their death, he took her in when no one else would.  He was a surrogate brother to her.

If the half-breed was all that was left of his spirit…then…

Then Xia wanted to make sure she lived too.

It was in their hands now, really.  She had done all she could do.  Come nightfall, she would learn whether she was to be punished or if she had somehow managed to dodge the knife.

So Xia waited.

--

The knocking on the door hammered it's way into Yuffie's head.

Rolling onto her back, she blinked groggily up at the ceiling, feeling like her eyelids had been glued shut.

There was another knock at the door, this time more insistent, and the cat girl pushed herself up into a sitting position, groaning as she did so.  Rubbing furiously at her eyes she shouted, "I'm comin' already!  …Yeesh…"

Getting to her feet, she swayed a little, holding out her arms to steady herself.  Yawning, she trudged to the door as if she were knee deep in sludge.  Throwing it open, she glared at the person groggily.

"Haven't you ever heard the saying, 'Let sleeping cats lie'?"

Wringing his hands, Ern flinched and muttered an apology.

Rubbing at her face, Yuffie stepped aside.  "Just come in and tell me what you want Ern..." she sighed.

Licking his lips, Ern stepped inside, shutting the door behind him.

"So where are the others?" Yuffie asked, flopping onto the bed again.

Ern ran his hand through his hair, "They still went to get breakfast…I stayed behind."

"No kiddin'."  Yuffie gave him a stern look.  "Ern, I know you've been trying to tell me something since last night, so why don't ya just spit it out already?"

Ern shook his head.  "I-it isn't that e-easy Yuffie!"

"Why not?"

"Because-!" he stopped short of his sentence and let out a shout of frustration before pacing back and forth on the floor.

Yuffie stared at him as if he had grown two heads.  "Ern, what the heck is tha' matter?"

"B-Beatrix!" came the stammered reply.

"Beatrix…?  What about her?"

"She…she…" he growled and ran his hand through his hair again.

Yuffie was beyond agitated now.  "Ern!"

"S-She's a-always m-m-m-" his face turned red as he tried to get the word out.  "M-m-meddling!"

"What?"

Ern grit his teeth.  "Y-Yuffie, Beatrix t-t-t-t-"

Once again the word stopped short of the first letter, and Yuffie rolled her eyes.  At this rate, Ern would never tell her what Beatrix did.

Sleep and exhaustion were still hanging on her eyelids, telling her to shut her eyes and catch up on the rest she needed.  In all honesty Yuffie didn't care what Ern had to say.  She just wanted him to hurry up and say it so she could go back to sleep.

Standing to her feet again, Yuffie gripped Ern's shoulders.

"Come on Ern!  What did Beatrix do?  Did she take something?  Did she try to do something?  Did she talk to someone?"

"Yes!"  Ern nodded furiously, "S-she t-talked to-"

A sharp knock at the door stopped him mid-sentence.  Yuffie let out a dejected sigh, and hands dropping from Ern's shoulders, she turned and opened the door but only managed to open it halfway, because without warning, Ern grabbed her arm, stopping her.  "D-don't!"

Turning, Yuffie glared. "Ern, let go-"

That's when she turned around.  That's when she understood.

Once again the cat girl was face to face with Tifa Lockheart.  Looking back on it, Yuffie marveled at her seriously impaired ability to predict danger.  One would think that seeing someone react as Ern and Beatrix had, one would know _not_ to turn around.

Of course, the first time around, Yuffie really wasn't expecting to see anyone from Avalanche in Icicle Inn of all places.  Second time around…well…

Sleep made her stupid.

But having Tifa stare at her the way she was, Yuffie was quickly coming out of her exhaustion.

Ern was muttering to himself again, and Yuffie turned to snap at him, when he shoved something in her face.  Blinking, she stared at it, before realizing what it was.

A hat.

And then she knew why Tifa was REALLY staring at her.

Grabbing the hat, she jammed it on her head, wincing a little as the cloth flattened her ears.  Tifa's mouth was hanging open and, slowly raising a finger, she asked quietly, "Are those…they…I mean…those are _fake_ right?"

Yuffie opened her mouth and shook her head, "I…uh…n-no?" her cheeks were flaring, her throat was seizing up, her tongue was tying itself in knots…Yuffie screamed at herself to keep calm, but she couldn't.  All she could think was, "Tifa saw.  She saw my ears and now she's freaking out, just like I am now."

Tifa blinked rapidly, still staring at the top of Yuffie's head.  "That…Sh-Shiva…that…" she shook her head, "Those ARE real!"

Yuffie opened the door further as she took a step forward.  She held up her hands, "Tifa-"

Tifa took a step back, her face ashen as she looked down.  The cat girl quickly realized her mistake and twisted around, grabbing her tail.  Silently she cursed herself and looked back at Tifa, reaching out a hand.  "Please just-!"

"Who are you!?" the woman squeaked, pressing herself into the wall.

The words echoed in her head and Yuffie stopped cold, her eyes widening a little.  "W-what?" she breathed.

Tifa was gripping the strap on her pack with a white-knuckle grip, her body shaking.  "Who are you!"

Yuffie placed a hand on her chest and opened and closed her mouth.  The words wouldn't come out.  She couldn't say a word.

For some reason her voice wasn't working.

Tifa grit her teeth and her face hardened as a new emotion flooded into her eyes.  It was the look she had worn when facing monsters, and now…Yuffie was the recipient. The cat girl took a step back and tried to speak again but the words wouldn't come.  The look Tifa was giving her was scaring her voice away.

The woman advanced on her, "Tell me who you are!"

Yuffie stumbled and she fell back onto her rear, wincing as she fell hard onto her tail stem.  Tifa stood in the doorway, glaring down at her.  She looked torn between anxiety and anger.  "Tell me who you are!  Are you playing some kind of sick joke on me!?"

Yuffie squeezed her eyes shut.  She could almost imagine the dagger being held to her throat, the three girls from her dream surrounding her now, demanding of her something she couldn't give, their bodies made of nothing but shadows…

"I-" Yuffie swallowed hard, her heart hammering.  "I-" The animal side of her was clawing.  Scratching.

It wanted out.

Wanted control.

Turning onto her side, Yuffie groaned, clutching her stomach.  "No!" her voice returned to her, weak.  She squeezed her eyes tightly and shouted as loud as she could, "NO!"

Scrambling to her feet, Yuffie ran out the door, shoving roughly past Tifa on her way out.  Charging recklessly down the hall, she tried to keep the change from coming, tried to keep the human in her stable.  Her skin was tingling.  Her muscles were burning.  She ran as hard as she could…

…As hard and as _fast_ as she could.

Tifa gasped as the girl shoved past her.  Regaining her footing, she ran out after her, but stopped as she looked up and down the hallway.  The girl had disappeared.

Breathing heavily, Tifa stared in disbelief.  How was that possible?  The girl had just gone out the door…_no_ one could run that fast.

Still shaking, the woman leaned against the doorframe, closing her eyes.  Had she been having one big hallucination?

"I really must be going crazy…"

But she heard a scuffling from inside the room, and frowning, she peeked back inside.

Ern was huddled in the far corner of the room, giving her the most frightened look one could give.  Gaze narrowing, she approached him slowly.  She pointed behind her.  "Did you just see that?"

The man stared, following where she was pointing.  Licking his lips, he nodded jerkily.  Tifa crossed her arms and taking a deep breath, she crouched down, trying to gather her wits.  Her knees felt a little weak and her head felt light.  Nonetheless, she wanted answers.

"If you really did see all that…then that means I'm really not crazy.  So tell me…just what happened?  And just…_what's going on?_"

Ern licked his lips again.  A million thoughts fired through his mind at this moment, most of them being "I'm going to get killed." But regardless, the man began to speak, proving a boost in his courage as of late.

"…Uh…w-well…" he leaned forward, as did Tifa and Ern began tell her everything.

--

The sky was turning rosy, the night was fast approaching, and sitting in some random alley far in the outskirts of town, Yuffie rocked back and forth, humming a rhyme she had heard as a child over and over to herself.  The hat she had put on back at the hotel room had at some point fallen off.  Currently, she was barefoot, only in her skirt and tank, which left her shivering absently.

When she had run, she had gone blindly, taking the back streets and hopping across roofs at random, not really caring where she was headed, as long as it was away from Tifa, and Ern, and the hotel room.  She wanted control again.  There, she had no control…none…

It confused and baffled her how horrible the short encounter had gone.  Tifa's strong reaction to Yuffie's new tail and ears turned her into a stuttering mass that couldn't control the reigns of the runaway stage coach the situation had become.  Why did it happen?  One minute she was talking to Ern and-

Yuffie's eyes narrowed as she remembered what the small man had been trying to tell her.  Quickly, she filled in the blanks.

Beatrix had talked Tifa into coming to the hotel room.  No wonder she was okay with Yuffie staying today.  The werewolf had had it all planned out, and Ern had been trying to warn of her plans.

She felt angry.

Angry at Ern for not telling her in time.

Angry at herself for not handling the situation as she should have.

And of course, angry with Beatrix for setting her and Tifa up.

Yuffie didn't like this form of betrayal or sneakiness.  SHE was the one who was supposed to be pulling these stunts, not the people she herself trusted!  Beatrix had even TOLD Yuffie she wouldn't force her into anything.  That made the girl a liar too.  Guaranteed, the scheming redhead was going to be getting a piece of THIS cat girl's mind soon, and maybe a little butt kicking as well to knock a little sense back into her…

In a sudden burst of rage, Yuffie hit the trashcan next to her, a surge of electricity exploding from her fist and blasting it straight out of the alley.  The force of the punch should have hurt her hand, but it didn't.  Eyes lighting up, she eyed the next trashcan, a grin forming on her face.

Standing, she attacked the trashcan nearby, kicking it and sending it flying out the other end of the alley.  She watched with savage satisfaction as the trashcan crashed to the asphalt.  She delighted in the sound of bottles and things breaking, and soon she was tearing everything apart, from simple things like newspapers, to abandoned furniture and crates, nothing was safe from her wrath.

Moving out of the alley, she emerged onto one of the streets, and eyed everything with a wicked grin.

No one was in sight.  Here, in the industrial part of town, everyone had gone home.

Most of the buildings were old factories and warehouses.  Several streetlights were dabbled sparingly here and there, but they barely offered much light in the face of the night.  Even the moon, with it's light rendered down to a dull glow from the passing clouds up north, offered little salvation for those down below.

But Yuffie paid no mind.

Grin widening she moved forth, her hands red from all the punching and ripping and bashing she had done.

Without realizing it, she was doing just what the demon side wanted of her.

Destroy.  Tear.  Bash.  Break.

Yuffie advanced on a company truck parked a few yards away.  Eyes glowing, she stretched out a hand.

A blast of electrical energy shot from her palm, and with the force of a canon ball, it hit the truck in its side, nearly flipping it over.  Hissing, Yuffie jumped and landed perfectly on the truck's roof, making a dent.  Taking both her fists she raised them over her head and brought them down, smashing them through the windshield.  The glass cracked and shattered, some of the shards cutting her hands.

But she didn't care.  It felt good.  It really did.

With all her fun in tearing the truck apart, Yuffie didn't take notice to the movement in the shadows or the occasionally low hisses from the alleys.  She was too busy with the marvelous little destruction she was causing to take notice to the hulking shadows advancing on her.

The last of day died out as night choked the remaining life out of it.  The shadows were longer.  The shadows were darker.

Yuffie advanced onto the next car, breathing harshly.  Still more to tear apart.  She had to destroy it, because it made her _feel_ good.

But before she could so much as raise a fist, something hit her hard in the back, sending her flying a couple of feet before she hit the ground, palms slamming painfully into the ground.  She wheezed, the wind knocked from her lungs and the pain stabbing into her back leaving her on the ground, her cheek pressed to the cold asphalt.  After a moment, she tried to push herself up, her body shaking with the effort.

A large hand grabbed her by the scruff of her neck and, like a rag doll, lifted her up and tossed her flying backwards, where again she hit the ground hard.  Yuffie's head had snapped back upon impact, and her eyes went a little out of focus as pain blossomed in her head.

The savage, destructive feeling quickly dissipated, and was replaced with confusion, fear, and anger.

Wincing, she tried to sit up, only to have a large hand grab the front of her shirt.  Easily, she was lifted from the ground, but before the assailant could do anything, Yuffie grabbed the arm holding her.

"Let go of me, freak." She hissed raspily.  Eyes flashing with energy, the cat girl sent a charge of electricity into the creature, and screeching, the thing let her go.

She was dropped stumbling on her feet.  Baring her teeth, Yuffie got a good look at her attacker while the light it was emitting still lasted.

Her eyes widened a fraction.

Like the wraiths that had attacked their cabin, this thing was transparent, and blended in with the shadows of the street.  But instead of being some small, manta ray with sharp teeth, this creature looked like some alien dinosaur with the body of a professional martial arts fighter.

The light began to fade and the creature turned its head toward her.  Screeching, it revealed the long razor sharp teeth and the more then accommodating mouth, that before, looked barely big enough for a penny.

The light was almost completely gone now.  Snapping out of her shock, Yuffie quickly tensed her hand and the raw energy literally spouted from her palm, pooling above it into a ball, like the one she had made at the cabin.  Relaxing her hand, the ball fell into it, and Yuffie pulled it back like a pitcher at a baseball game.

"Eat this!" she shouted before launching the ball at the monster.  The ball hit the thing in the chest, and it was blasted back several yards before crashing and skidding to a halt a good distance away.

"Score!" Smirking Yuffie punched the air.  "No one messes with Yuffie Kisaragi!"

In response a chorus of hisses made her stop dead, and eyes darting nervously around her, Yuffie slowly fell back into her fighting stance.  "Oh boy…" she breathed, turning slowly on the spot.

Fists held up, she tried to recall something from her ninjitsu classes that could help her, but in dismay she could think of nothing.  "I can't believe it…I sit through all those _stupid_ classes with Gorky and now none of it can help me." She swiveled around as she heard something move rather close behind her, and punched blindly at the air. 

Hearing another sound, Yuffie turned and swung her arm, hitting nothing.  "Fat lotta' good these cat eyes do me now…" she muttered, punching randomly again.  Eyes automatically locking onto one of the streetlights, which encompassed a moderate circle of concrete with it's yellow glow, Yuffie considered making a dash for the light.  Certainly there she would be safe…but what would she do?  Stay there till morning?  It wasn't like she could fight from there; the creatures wouldn't go near the light.  But then, she remembered just what she was, and had to resist slapping herself.

Raising a hand she made another energy ball and lobbed it into the air.  It landed with a 'zap' on the asphalt.  But with the small light it made, Yuffie spotted the creatures retreating, and smirking triumphantly, she charged after them, punching where she guessed they would be.

After a few misses, she connected with one, and then, before it could get away, she grabbed what seemed to be its tail and sent waves of electricity into it.  The creature screamed, and still holding on to it, Yuffie blasted it with another energy ball.  The thing fell to the ground in a fit, shaking and twitching.  The light from its body spread out a good couple of feet all around, and Yuffie could see some of the other creatures recoiling from the light.

She leapt at them, slashing with her claws.  Coming at them, she managed to slash one on the chest and, dropping down, she quickly swept the legs out from under it with a quick swipe of her leg.  The thing hit the ground hard, and Yuffie raised a hand, ready to shove an energy ball into its face when one of the creatures tackled her from the side.

They hit the ground, and Yuffie looked up in time to see the creature on top of her hiss and open its mouth...

"Y-Yuffie!"

Both she and the creature turned to see the owner of the voice, Ern, standing in the middle of street, looking scared out of his mind.  Yuffie shook her head, "Ern, no!"

The light from the corpse behind them finally died out, and Yuffie quickly placed her hands on the creature's chest on top of her.  "Get off!" she screamed, before blasting the monster off of her.  As it flew, the light rained down on the ground below, and Yuffie could see even more creatures hiding in the shadows.  "Crap…" she muttered as she stood shakily to her feet.

A scream from Ern made her head snap around, and she saw the small man being lifted into the air before thrown into a building.

Cupping her hands, she raised them before her like a gun and screamed, "Ern!"

Electrical currents ran down her arms, stopping in her hands, where a huge ball of raw energy quickly pooled.  Squeezing her eyes shut, she released it with a shout, and the ball rocketed forth, hitting a shadow creature in its side and blasting it away.  Ern let out a shriek as the thing flew away from him, and as the light from the thing's body shined, he stared around in genuine fear at the creatures revealed to him.  "Artemis…" he breathed, shaking.

"Hey!" Yuffie shouted, "Take that corpse and drag it until you're completely underneath one of the streetlights!  The creatures won't touch you as long as the corpse is still glowing!"

Whimpering, the mad did what he was told.

Meanwhile, Yuffie resumed her fight with the other creatures and was steadily growing more desperate.

Just how many were there?

Blasting her third monster, she sat back, exhausted.  "Ern!" she called, glancing over at him.

The man said nothing, only stared ahead vacantly.

"Hey!  Snap out of it!  I need help here!"

"C-can't…" he said, shaking his head, "C-c-c-can't m-m-move…"

"What!?" she screamed, giving him an angry look, "Why you little turd!  I oughtta-" she was cut short when the creature behind her screeched, opening it's mouth wide and lifting a clawed hand, ready to strike.  Twisting around, she paled, the way the blue light hit the monster from below making it ghastly and horrific.  So she was surprised when a flash of black and red crashed into it from the side, knocking it away in time before it could cut the cat girl down.  She stared, dumbfounded for a second before realizing whom the person was.

Her face hardened.  "Beatrix."

"And me."

Yuffie turned and saw Julius enter the shrinking circle of light.  He glanced around casually, his hands shoved into his pockets.  "Well, Yuffie, I can't say I dig this place…" He spotted Ern, shaking beneath the streetlight and waved at him with a smile.  "Oi!  Mate!  What'cha doin' over there all by your lonesome for?"

"S-stuff it!" Ern yelled back, knees hugged tightly to his chest.

Julius chuckled.  "Just hang tight, Ern.  We'll take care of this."  He looked back down at Yuffie and his smile faded a little.

The cat girl was staring down the street, where there stood Tifa underneath a street light.  Her face was expressionless, which Yuffie found frustrating, because she couldn't tell what the woman was thinking at the moment.

Julius followed her line of vision and scratched his head, "Er, yeah…about that…" he jammed his thumb toward Tifa.  "What say we just head over there for a bit and straighten all of this out?  Anyways, our nightlight seems to be running out of juice here…"

He was right.  The light from the shadow monster was barely enough to keep the other creatures away.  Yuffie stood jerkily to her feet, wiping her palms on her skirt.  Julius waved at Beatrix, "Are you just about done ripping that thing apart?  Or can we go?"

The redhead stood, staring at her hands.  "These things don't have any blood…it's like their made out of smoke or something…"

Julius rolled his eyes.  Turning he called to Ern, "Oi, Ern!  Just sit still for a minute, we'll be right back!"

"What!?"

The man ignored his friend's panicked squeak and began walking toward Tifa.  Yuffie, after giving Beatrix a rather menacing look, followed after him.  Beatrix trailed behind, sulking.

Tifa didn't move as they came near, and when they entered the circle of light she only shifted slightly, choosing to stare at the ground.

Julius placed his hands on his hips.  "Now, for some explanations." He pointed behind him at Ern, who was two streetlights away.  "Him and Ms. Lockheart here left a note at the hotel room saying they were going to go looking for you."  He crossed his arms, "It also explained how Beatrix tricked Tifa and you to meet, which caused this whole thing to begin with."

Yuffie snorted, "You bet it did…" the girl muttered, glaring daggers at the red head across from her, who flinched.

Julius cleared his throat.  "Well, after going around half the town looking for you, they decided to split up, and Ern ended up wandering haplessly here.  After Meridian read the note Ern left, he sent Beatrix and me out to find all of you, only because we're the best trackers of the group.  We ran into Tifa by accident a little before, and here we are."

"Well now, doesn't that just explain everything."  Yuffie said sarcastically, rolling her eyes as she said this.  Eyes snapping onto Beatrix, she hissed, "What I'd like to know is what the hell SHE was thinking!"

Beatrix's face turned as red as her hair and she held her hands up, "I was just trying to help!"

"You only made things worse!"

"What are you talking about?"

"Everything you air headed mutt!"

"Now, now Yuffie…come on, really.  Let's keep civil." Julius said soothingly, "We've all been through a lot recently-"

"A lot?" Everyone turned as Tifa spoke, her voice shaky and somewhat bitter.  "A lot doesn't even scratch the surface of some of the stuff that's happened to me this week.  First Cloud comes home one night ranting about some apocalyptic ordeal while wearing a t-shirt several sizes too small with glitter on it, flanked by two girls who looked like hookers but who HE said were angels-"

Yuffie frowned, "Huh?"

"-Then I leave him and get stuck here with this cat that acts like a human being-"

"Wait what cat?  And you _left_ Cloud!?"

"-And now I'm standing here under a streetlight with a girl who lied to me, a guy who keeps hitting on me, and some _cat girl_ who claims to be Yuffie while a bunch of alien monster things swim around like sharks in the dark, waiting to rip off all our heads!"

"_'Claims'?_ 'Some cat girl who _claims_ to be Yuffie'??"

Tifa crossed her arms.  "Well what else am I supposed to say?  I have no idea who you really are!  I mean you _sound_ like Yuffie and you sort of _look_ like Yuffie, but that isn't enough!  To be honest I don't know what to think about _anything_ anymore!"

Yuffie's eye twitched and she grit her teeth in an effort not to scream, "_Then what the hell are you doing here?_"

"I…" Tifa faltered.  "I…I really don't know.  I guess…I guess I want proof.  Show me proof!"

At this Yuffie lost it.

First she couldn't speak.  She was so angry with disbelief; she couldn't get a word out.  She felt like hitting something, like before.  But this time she managed to refrain.  After a moment she managed to squeak out the word "Proof." as if it were the name of the one cheating on her with her boyfriend.  She said the word again and this time it came out stronger, in the form of a growl.  "Proof."  Yuffie rubbed at her face roughly and screamed.

"I don't freaking believe this!" she screamed again and beat her fists against her head, "This.  Wasn't.  Supposed.  To.  HAPPEN!!" Yuffie stomped her foot once.  Twice.  Three times.  Again and again she stomped her foot, meanwhile cursing and ranting at lightning speed, her words only just missing collision with one another.

"I wasn't ever supposed to see _any_ of you until I was ready!  This whole thing is a mistake!  Hell, technically, I shouldn't even be alive!  I get caught up in a freaking blizzard with this freaking cat that was, in actuality, A FREAKIN' DEMON, and for my trouble I get turned into this half breed _freak_ chick who has to dress like some wannabe goth so that people don't get _freaked out_ by my appearance!  Even THEN I have to cover my FREAKIN' EARS AND TAIL, because they're too much of a FREAKING give away!  I'm stuck with this band of bozo's who are all, for whatever reason, I still don't know, waging their own mini war against these damned demon MONSTERS that are bigger and more powerful than any FREAKING thing we ever faced as Avalanche!"

She stopped for a moment only to catch her breath, then with renewed vigor started up again.  Beatrix, Julius, and Tifa all stared at her in growing awe as she continued to rant, her face turning, if possible, darker than Beatrix's hair.

"-And I'd give more than ANYTHING to get rid of these FREAKIN' GODDAMNED EARS I FREAKIN HATE THEM SO MUCH!!  I know Cid and Barret would have a freaking _field day_ if they ever found out that I was turned into a half-breed because they'd say 'you deserved it'.  I KNOW they would!  And Cloud, that spiky-headed jerk, would probably call me reckless and irresponsible and Reeve, that greasy haired asshole, would crack one of his stupid jokes, and Red XIII, with all his brains, would start looking at me as if _I_ were the freaking science experiment!  For the past few nights I haven't been able to _sleep_ because I've been worrying so _damn_ much about EVERYTHING.  I kept thinking about how I avoided you guys before because I was afraid of what you all would say about the fight me and my pops had, _again_, and every time I start to cry because now I really _do_ have a reason to avoid you all, and not just you, but the entire world because I was stupid and I screwed up _again_.  And now we're here the both of us, and we aren't supposed to, god DAMN IT, _we aren't supposed to!  _And you're asking me, while we're standing under this _flimsy, stupid little streetlight_ whether I have _PROOF _of who I _am!?  What proof can I give!?  All my junk got lost out in that BLIZZARD Tifa!_  What?  Do you want me to say something 'Yuffie-like'?  What?  Do you want me to act like a ditzy sixteen year old again?  Do you want me to hop up and down and punch the air and scream 'BOOYAKA!' like I used to after each fight?  Do you want me to steal all your stuff?  Pester the heck out of you?  _What do you want from me!?_"

Yuffie stopped again, breathing heavily.  She felt hot tears trickling down her face, and she wiped at them angrily.  "Gah!" she stomped her foot again.  "S'not _fair!_" she shouted.

Tifa, who had watched with a trembling lip as Yuffie went on and on, finally took a loud shuddering breath, trying her best to keep from dissolving into a blubbering mass of tears.

"…Yuffie…" she rushed forward and, catching Yuffie off guard, hugged her hard.  "Oh my god Yuffie what _happened_ to you!"

Yuffie blinked rapidly, going rigid as Tifa hugged her.  After a moment she recovered and tried awkwardly to comfort the woman, who by now had lost all resolve.  "Hey…Tiffy, don't cry!" when this didn't work, she began to panic.  "I mean it!  Don't!  Y-You're gonna make _me_ cry!"  But the woman still didn't stop, and Yuffie's eyes began to water.  Gritting her teeth, she shook Tifa gently, hissing, "You always were so darn emotional…" and, her own resolve breaking, Yuffie hugged the woman tightly, tears spilling down her own cheeks.

Standing a little away from them, Julius smiled warmly.  "Aww…how sweet."

Beatrix smiled happily.  "Maybe now I won't get killed!"

Yuffie, who heard her, glared over Tifa's shoulder.  "Don't count on it."

Pulling away, Tifa wiped at her eyes.  Looking up, she rubbed Yuffie's ears.  "This is so surreal…"

Yuffie winced pulling away, "Hey, I don't go feeling up on _your_ ears!"

Tifa blushed.  "I-I'm sorry.  Its just…wow."

"Well you can stare at her ears later."  Julius looked serious now, and he nodded toward the sea of night around them.  "We're gonna have to take care of our little friends here before we can go anywhere."

"But we don't know how many there are." Beatrix said incredulously.

Yuffie sniffed, wiping her eyes dry.  "I can take care of that."

Tifa looked at her confused, and Yuffie smirked.  "Don't wig out on me, m'kay?"

Mutely, the woman nodded, still not following.  Yuffie stepped toward the edge of the light encompassing them all, and raising her hands she focused as hard as she could.  Her tail lashing behind her, her body tensed and her entire body began to glow.  Tifa gasped as she felt the energy rolling off of her friend wash over her in thick waves, the hairs on her skin standing on end and moving with the currents.  Shaking the cat girl narrowed her eyes and took a few clunky steps forward.  The energy was built up inside her now.  The streetlights were flickering and she could hear the nervous hisses of the creatures surrounding her.  Julius eyes widened and with a shout, he pushed both Beatrix and Tifa to the ground.  Squeezing her eyes shut, Yuffie pushed the energy away from her with a scream.

Like water in the air, the light flooded the air, painting the building blue and shattering the streetlights nearby with their intensity.  All of the creatures that had before been hidden were now completely exposed, just as was the case back at the cabin.  Many of them caught the full force of the waves, while the others were simply dazed.  Shaking, Yuffie twisted her neck around and shouted, "Guys!  Get the others!!"

Julius and Beatrix scrambled to their feet, snapping their jaws shut after the effects of the spectacle they had just seen wore off.  Tifa took a moment to snap out of her amazement and awe before hurrying after them to join the fray.

There weren't many and when they were certain all of them were dead, Yuffie dropped her arms, panting.  "Whew…" she breathed, face glistening with sweat.

Tifa stood shaking, the adrenaline coursing through her veins.  Glancing at Yuffie, she huffed, "Are…you okay?"

Yuffie nodded mutely, trying to catch her breath.  She doubled over, leaning on her knees.  "Man…"

Beatrix waved at Ern, "Hey!  They're _gone_ now."  But the man only shook his head, muttering frantically under his breath.

Julius stretched, "Let's get going.  It isn't wise to stay here."

Beatrix turned and started walking, "Yeah, Meridian and the others must be worrying about us!"

Yuffie snorted, "You just wanna start walking so that you can keep ahead of me."

"When you want to wring my neck until my head comes off, yeah, I see nothing wrong with that."

Yuffie hissed. "Come 'ere!" As if she hadn't just blasted away a bunch of monsters, the cat girl was running after Beatrix, who began sprinting for one of the streetlights.  Glancing over her shoulder once with wide fearful eyes, the redhead jumped up the poles with amazing force.  Latching onto the pole of the streetlight, she shimmied the rest of the way to the top.  Yuffie slowed to a stop beneath her, glaring.  "Don 't think I can't jump up after you!" she shouted.

Beatrix growled.  "Try it and you get a mouth full of boot!"

Julius shook his head with a chuckle.  "Never thought I'd see the day a wolf gets chased up into hiding by a cat."  Then the wind changed, and he stopped and sniffed the air.  His eyes narrowed.  "That scent…" He was jolted out of his thoughts, however, when a screech pierced his ears, immediately putting him on guard.

But it was Tifa who turned to find the dark silhouette of a monster, which had somehow managed to survive their attack, open its mouth wide.  Eyes widening, she stared in fear as it reared its head, ready to kill her…

--

Xia trudged along the rooftops slowly, feeling lethargic and unmotivated. 

Come what may. 

She didn't care.

Tail dragging behind her, she sighed and thought about Tifa, who was, hopefully, off the continent and out of danger for the time being.  But as she hopped up onto the ledge, ready to jump to next building, she heard voices.

Tail rising she crept to the ledge corner where she could see the street better.  Glancing down, she found to her absolute horror…

The Tifa woman.

And with the Beatrix girl and the other red headed lycan.

Moving straight towards the very warehouse Kelson and the necromancers were!

Fur puffing, she thought about the half-breed and cursed the girl over and over in her head for taking her warnings so lightly.

For a second she thought about jumping down and telling the lycans to turn around, right back the way they came.  But that wouldn't work, she knew.  They wouldn't trust her, and would most likely try to hurt her.

Stupid, _stupid_ creatures.

Well what could she do?  …Nothing.  Xia watched with despair as the Tifa woman and the lycans walked on to their doom.  And she could do absolutely nothing…

Except watch.

So she followed them, making sure to keep down wind and a good distance away, so that the lycans couldn't smell her.

She was there, when they came onto the street where the pack of shadow specters had been lurking.  She was there when Yuffie had exploded into her six-minute rants and Tifa had broken down crying.  She was there when the half-breed used her powers in such a way that not even Xia knew possible.  And she was there when the shadow specter, nearly dead and more than angry, stood shakily to it's feet ready to have it's revenge on the half-breed for the pain she caused.  But when it found she wasn't near, it went for the next best thing…

…Tifa.

And it was this split second that Xia decided that there were bigger things at stake here then her own well-being.  Come the moment she went back to the warehouse, Kelson would probably kill her.  He knew.  He had to.  There was no way he couldn't know.  And if he didn't know, he would soon find out.  So what difference did it make if she died?

What difference did it make?

These were her thoughts as she leaped through the air, the wind sailing past her.  These were her thoughts as she hissed, purposely drawing the monsters attention.  And these were her thoughts as the monster knocked her away like a tennis ball, leaving her dazed and hurting on the ground.

Tifa gazed down at her in shock, recognizing the white tipped ears even in the dark.  "…S-Spider?"

The specter, smoke curling from its open mouth, gnashed its teeth, its body twisting as it slithered toward Xia, who was only starting to get to her feet.

The thing stretched a claw toward her, "Traitor you issss…" it snapped it's teeth angrily.  "Traitor you _diess_…"

Xia looked at it with half closed eyes.  Hunching her shoulders, her paws grew in size, the fur retracting to reveal tiny hands.  She grit her teeth as the fur disappeared, her legs lengthening and growing as her spine twisted.  In a matter of seconds she was crouching hunched on the ground, naked, her body done with its change.  Looking up at the shadow specter, she smiled a lazy, empty smile.

Silently she stood, brandishing her right hand.  The claws lengthened becoming something like thin daggers coming out of their sheaths.

The specter screeched and moved as if it were going to chomp her head off, but to both Xia and the monster's surprise, Yuffie appeared in between them, cupping her hands and looking more than angry.  An orb of energy appearing in her hands, she sneered.

"Say 'nighty night' big boy."

With a blast the specter was blown back, dead.  Xia stared at the back of Yuffie's head in disbelief, not sure how to make of this sudden display.  The girl in question turned to her, looking more serious than any of those present had ever seen her.  A silence followed soon after that.  Tifa, who still hadn't moved, still couldn't speak for the life of her.  Not but a few minutes ago she had nearly been killed.  Then, come soaring out of the sky like some heaven sent, Spider appeared to save her life.

Only to have the shock of her life revealed to her when Spider transformed into a girl, with cat ears just like Yuffie.

So she was really demon.

She didn't know what to make of it.  She was still swooning from discovering Yuffie had been transformed into some kind of half-breed.  The result of all this new information caused something of a short circuit in her, rendering her to a voiceless zombie, who could only stare ahead in perpetual shock.

Beatrix, who had leapt from the pole upon the entrance via Xia, was looking to and from the two cat girls, who were having an intense staring competition.

After a moment, it was Xia who finally looked away.

Satisfied with her relent, Yuffie decided to ask the first thing that popped into her mind the night before, when they first met.

"Who are you?"

Xia didn't answer.  She didn't want to.

Yuffie turned around completely, her eyes softening just a little.  "You knew him, didn't you?  The one who did this to me?"

At this the young demon glanced up at her, her tail swaying side to side.  Finally she whispered.  "Like a brother."

Julius cleared his throat.  "Um…hey, we've all had a rough night, I say we go back to the others and tell them about all of this mess."

"We should leave tonight." Yuffie said, looking at him.  She looked at Tifa, "And you have to come with us," she looked down at Xia,  "So do you."

At this the cat girl snorted, "Why?  Get killed either way."

Beatrix frowned, "I don't know…I mean she's a demon.  It was different when we took you in, Yuffie."

Julius motioned to Beatrix, and the red head made a face before shrugging her trench coat off.  The man took it, and walking towards Xia, he offered it to her.  Reluctantly she took it, her nose wrinkling.  Giving Beatrix a look, he said, "She's just a kid-"

Xia gave him a scandalized look.  "Am _not!_"

"-And if we leave her here, she'll get skinned.  I know you aren't cold hearted enough to allow that, Beatrix."

Beatrix blushed and grumbled, "Well I didn't mean it _that_ way…"

Yuffie rubbed her chin as she looked down at Xia.  "What was it Tifa called you?  …Spider?  Well until you tell us your name that's what we'll call you from now on.  And I _will_ drag you kicking and screaming to the docks if I have to.  You are SO not staying here."

With that she grabbed Xia, who gave a startled yowl as she was swung onto Yuffie's shoulder.  She grimaced as the older girl's shoulder pushed into her gut, and she tried vainly to wriggle free.  "Put me down!" she squealed.

Yuffie shook her head, "Nope.  Too dangerous for you here.  'Sides.  I want some more answers, and _you_ have them."  Holding the cat girl's legs with one arm, she waved to the others with her other arm.  "C'mon.  Before more of those damn monster things show up."

Tifa stood slowly to her feet and followed along with Beatrix and Julius as Yuffie led the way back to town, Xia slung unceremoniously over her shoulder.  Ern, still sitting in the streetlight, moaned and after a few minutes sprinted after them in a panic, his foot falls echoing off the buildings.  Julius shook his head at him.  "Yer' okay Ern…"

Meanwhile, whilst barely holding back her laughter, Beatrix flipped the hood over Xia's ears and only just missed having her fingers bitten off by the irate demon.  The hood covered the cat girl's eyes, and she tried fruitlessly to push the hood back up, her hands too busy trying to keep the other half of her body up so that Yuffie's shoulder didn't press into her stomach so much.

Silently she wondered just what it was she had managed to get herself into.

----

reposted the chapter

A/N:  …Wow, I finished this quicker than I thought I would!  Three chapters on one day, I never would have thought…well.  Anyways.  It was quickly becoming clear I had to end this fast.  I mean.  Twenty-eight pages.  That's just _ridiculous._

But really.  After reading over this almost as many times as chapter thirteen, I think it's time to just post it.  I apologize for any mistakes that may still be left behind however.  At this length, a chapter can be hard to check over.  I want to get the story moving as much as you people do, believe me.  While working on the last three chapters I came up with so many ideas, I'm telling you this fan fiction is really gonna start taking shape.  At least I hope it will.  Some of this stuff is still improvised and thrown in at the last minute.  But then again, that always makes for interesting stories, that is, if it's done right. 

I'm kind of amazed how much the idea of Yuffie being a neko has evolved.  It's insane really.  You should have seen what I REALLY started with…

Okay, well thanks much for reading, please leave a review!


	16. Tifa's Diary: Entry II

The feelings I'm experiencing are kind of hard to explain right now. It's like standing dazed in the middle of a highway while cars are roaring past you; their headlights blind your eyes. You're afraid to move, afraid to take a step, but you know you'll have to eventually because staying there is not only dangerous, but also stupid. You try to scream for help, but no one can hear you. No one can help you make your decision. No one can help you cross to safety.

What happened the night before is kind of blurry now that I look back on it. So much had been revealed to me in one night. I didn't really know how to take it, supposing…there was any certain way I was supposed to. Really though, how does one react to all of that? So when Yuffie said I was going to leave with them, I…found I couldn't argue.

After managing to kill off those things back in the industrial area, we left as quickly as we could. Since we were such a strange group, we took the back streets to avoid attracting unnecessary attention. It was really cold, and I couldn't stop shaking. But that easily could have been from the adrenaline still coursing through me. Beatrix and that man, Julius, were kind of quiet.

Kind of.

They both seemed to find Spider's anger amusing.

…It feels weird, calling that girl 'Spider'. To me, Spider was a cat. She's…not even really _human_ is she? All these twists and turns are so overwhelming. I still can't get over the change Yuffie went through. She seems a shadow of her former self. There are hints of her old habits and personality there. But she seems like almost a completely different person. I don't know what brought the most change; the two years we spent away from each other, or this new 'demon' side that she has been fused with.

She seems to always be thinking about something now. Her face gets the preoccupied look people have when they're pondering a serious puzzle. I remember her being bright and inquisitive, with a sharp eye for detail (she was trained as a shinobi after all), but never had I seen her so…_focused_. No offense to her, but she never really could sit still long enough to work anything out. She was the kind who would work on a word search for five minutes before doing something else. Another thing I've noticed is that she seems to be on constant edge. Maybe it's just with the recent events, what with Beatrix's harebrained scheme and her meeting me 'ahead of schedule' so to speak, but I think there's something else there. Her anger seems to have evolved from the shallow teenage temper tantrum to something darker and more dangerous. This scares me, but strangely enough, I think it scares her too.

We had a short talk about how she's dealt with her new body, and as she tells me, her new mind. She says the world seems different now. Looks different, sounds different, _feels_ different...and she doesn't understand it. She says she _thinks_ things she never would have before. Knows things she had never _known_ before. She doesn't understand any of it. So of course, neither do I. But I suppose I'll get used to it.

If I can get used to a talking robotic cat riding a giant stuffed mog and a large talking tiger that could very well beat me on a math quiz, then I can certainly get used to my friend being half a cat demon.

(It's frightening, the relationship I've had with cats over the years)

But now switching to a completely different note: Yuffie's friends are _strange_.

They all act…I'm not sure how to say it. When I lock eyes with one of them a chill runs up my spine. Some things there, I _see_ it, but I don't know what it is. When Ern was telling me about Yuffie and the past week, I got the feeling he was leaving some things out. I hope I'm just being paranoid, I don't know if I can take another surprise. I'm sure Ern was being honest. He's such a nice man, if only a little odd. In fact they're all odd. Seeing a girl like Beatrix jump and climb up a bare streetlight the way she did…that was beyond strange.

That was freaky.

And it's been _ages_ since I've heard anyone speak with Midgaran accents, and hearing them speak brings back memories of when I owned 7th Heaven down in the slums. "Bloody hell", "wanker", "pricks". I think Julius is the worse of all of them when it comes to slang.

Beatrix is second.

But they are all nice, really. (But I'm still mad with Beatrix, don't get me wrong) When we arrived back at the hotel, they were very polite and sympathetic. The large blonde man, Taerk (odd name), and Julius escorted me back to my own room, where I gathered my things and checked out. Needless to say, I was happy to say goodbye to Mr. Monroe.

Meridian, who's the leader of this little group Yuffie seems to be joining, is very cordial. He always refers to me as "Ms. Lockheart". Yuffie says he'll be doing that until he feels familiar enough with me to start using my first name. He shows patience that you don't find often anymore. The entire group was very accepting of me. Of Spider, however…

They argued for a while whether it would be wise to take her with us. Whether it would be wise to keep her alive at all. Taerk seemed particularly adamant about that last point. Just at the suggestion Yuffie blew up. She called Taerk a "stupid muscle-headed moron with as much common sense as a donkey's ass". (At least her colorful choice of insults stayed the same) Silently I agreed with her, not with the insult of course, but about killing Spider. I myself was still too…well, shell shocked to speak at the moment really, but I was enough in it to know that it was wrong to even think such an idea. After all, demon or not, Spider was still a living being, a child no less, and a child who just so happened to have saved my _life_.

Meridian didn't want to take the chance of bringing a full-blooded demon with us. Like Beatrix had said before back on the street, he said this was a different case from the decision he had to make with Yuffie. In a nutshell, Yuffie could be trusted.

Spider couldn't.

So Yuffie, Beatrix, and Julius spent half an hour trying to convince Meridian it would be okay. Julius and Yuffie both were very firm in their arguments. Beatrix piped in every now and then, but I think the real reason she bothered speaking was to see if she could get on Yuffie's good side again. Considering Yuffie's still upset with her, I don't think it worked.

Eventually Meridian conceded to bringing Spider along, as long as someone watched her at all times. He threatened that if need be he personally would get rid of her. I think this bothered Yuffie, because she said in a way that made me nervous, that there wouldn't be a need because she herself would watch Spider.

At this point I wanted to say something. I was already feeling so helpless, I felt if I didn't find my voice again and take a stand, then nothing out of all of this madness would be under my control. I would be just a leaf in the wind.

But I didn't speak.

I just couldn't.

When everything had been agreed, we left for the docks. As fate would have it, we had to wait for the ship for Kalm to come. I was getting more then nervous. We weren't safe, I thought. Now that I knew there were _demons_ among us, I couldn't stop checking the shadows and the faces of all those who passed us. It's been ages since I've been in a situation where my life was truly in danger.

But as I gazed around, waiting for the ship to come, I stopped as my eyes fell on none other then Spider.

She was standing apart from everyone else, shivering a little, as she was still naked underneath the jacket, a fisherman hat jammed over her head. (She had complained that if she had to wear the hood again, she would change back into a cat, where all 'the humans' could see her) She was still wearing the jacket Beatrix had given her, and it dragged behind her like a train dress. The sleeves swallowed her arms whole, and I smiled unconsciously at how ridiculous she looked.

She kept giving Yuffie this look that seemed to be born of…well…fond contempt. Really weird, explaining it, but all of what I'm talking about is more then out of the ordinary anyways, so it doesn't matter.

Spider had a close relationship with the demon that changed Yuffie into what she is now. I guess I can relate to what she's feeling, but not really.

When Cloud had joined Avalanche for the first time, he was so like Zack in everything that he did. He moved like him, talked like him, _dressed_ like him. I imagine what's unfamiliar to me in Yuffie's new personality, must be familiar to Spider in her memory of the demon she knew. What a strange concept that is…and a sad one too.

The very demon Spider had known as a brother is now gone, and in his place is a girl whom she never met, maybe only heard about, who moves and acts like the demon she knew…But _isn't_ the demon she knew. Rather, she's her alleged enemy.

Plus, to make matters worse, an entire group that she had come to recognize as dangers now surrounds her. She has everyone reason to be anxious, or worse, afraid. More then I do, when you really look at it, and she's only a girl.

I feel bad for that. Before I found out she was a demon, she was a friend. When I was alone, wallowing in my depression and going insane, left with the lack of direction in my life, she was there to give me company. I'm sure the treats I gave her helped some, as did the belly rubs. But being there is being there. I want to think I can be there for her now, even with the truth finally revealed. But…

I can't.

I'm still trying to come to terms with everything else.

Well…at any rate, seeing her brought a sense of comfort to me. That's even more solace I stole from her, come to think of it. And, then, I took solace from her without her even realizing it. My consolation's locked away somewhere, I'm sure. If she were to look at me without my knowing, looking for some kind of reassurance in my presence, I doubt she'd find any.

I think I'll try to open up to her more. …It's only fair, right?

With this comfort settling on my nerves, I relaxed and sat back on one of the benches available. The ship was already on the horizon, and in another hour it was pulling into the dock.

There weren't many other people boarding with us that night. I guess Kalm, even with its increase in size, doesn't attract much of a crowd at the start of the week. But I guess it was more a matter of time then popularity. If we had a choice, we would have waited until next day to sail to Kalm.

We got on the ship okay. Spider stuck close to Yuffie the entire time, giving everything around her a sulking glare. Yuffie didn't look too chipper as she boarded the ship. It seemed her problem with seasickness still hadn't left her. I myself was ready to go to bed. There were still a lot of thoughts going through my mind, but I was way too exhausted to touch upon any of them willingly.

One of them involved Cloud and that night back in Costa del Sol.

I really didn't want to think about it. I still kind of don't, but I know I'm going to have to face it eventually. What's the point of me writing in this journal/diary if I'm not going to reflect?

My feelings were simple and straightforward.

I felt guilty.

Horribly guilty.

Cloud had actually been telling me the truth, strange as his story was. The shirt he was wearing certainly didn't help with things and neither did those two women. But after what I went through, I guess I can't talk. I'm worried about him. I want to know he's okay. I tried calling the house sometime ago, but no one picked up. I hope with all my heart nothing has happened to him.

…Note to self: Try the house again. If he's still not there, call Barret and the others. Maybe they can tell me where he is?

Okay…so we're on the ship. The ship is pretty big, and everyone splits up without a word, going into their respective rooms. Beatrix and Mikau share a room. Meridian shares a room with Taerk, Ern, and Julius. Yuffie shares a room with Spider, and I, feeling sheepish, get a room of my own. (I don't know how I remembered that so well, and I really don't know why I bothered listing this. I guess it will help explain things if I wrote down where everyone generally was…)

Going into my own little cabin, I went to close the door and saw the all the others shuffle past, where I wouldn't be seeing most of them again until we reached the shore.

Sitting alone on my little cot, I stared at the wall for a while, trying to keep my mind clear, like I had earlier that day. I pinched myself a few times, to try and convince myself that this wasn't a dream, and I was really where I was. My body was exhausted. I wanted to sleep so badly, to wake up in the villa with Cloud at my side, like the way things used to be when we were happy together. But of course, reality is cold and cruel, and wouldn't even grant me that one little reprieve…

I'm sorry. Let me get back on track.

So after what seemed like an eternity of staring and pinching, I snapped out of it enough to get up and leave my room. The ship was rocking softly on the waves, as ships usually do, and after sitting for so long, just staring, I wasn't prepared for it.

Moving up the steps to the deck, I got dizzy and stumbled my way out into the air, catching myself on a nearby chair. Startled, I tried to get a grip on myself.

"Are you okay?"

Honestly, being scared silly was not what I needed, but Meridian achieved that with ease as he just about appeared out of nowhere, his hair blowing in the wind, making him look for all the world like some kind of god or something. Giving him a wide-eyed look, I shook my head, and he smiled softly at me. "I'm sorry to have frightened you. It wasn't my intention." He stepped back a little, and I straightened, becoming more used to the motion of the ship.

Was this how Yuffie felt all those times? I thought. How _horrible_.

Still wearing that soft smile, he looked up at the stars and said, "It's a beautiful night."

Swallowing, I nodded mutely. This time it wasn't my shock that was keeping me quiet. More like my awe.

With the moonlight shining down on him, and his hair flipping about his face, I was struck by how…_surreal_ he seemed. Once again, I was hit by that one detail…that _one_ detail that I just couldn't place. It set him apart. So much from anyone I had seen in my entire life. The way he looked up at the moon…it was so…_lovingly_.

Together we stood in silence, just gazing up at the stars. The cold didn't bother me so much, as the seconds ticked by, and I became used to the comfortable silence that was settling in the air.

After a while, Meridian looked at me and asked softly, "So…what do you make of things?"

At this, I just stared at him. I hadn't made an opinion about anything really…except that it was all bizarre and shocking. Did he want me to decide, there and now, what I would do there on in?

I shook my head, "I…can't really say." Looking down at my shoes, I half-whispered, "Yuffie's so different. And…well…Spider isn't an ordinary cat. Beatrix lied to me, and my…Cloud, had been telling me the truth."

Meridian frowned, "Cloud? Cloud Strife? What did he tell you?"

So I explained. Meridian listened with rapt attention. His expression was blank, but I could see a spark light up in his eyes as I told what had happened that night in Costa. When I finished, he rubbed his chin.

"So there are angels now are there…" He murmured, more to himself then to me.

Crossing my arms, I asked him, "So what are you and the others? Why do you fight these creatures? Why did you take Yuffie in?"

Those barely scratched the surface of all my questions.

Glancing at me, he sighed. "We are…a group dedicated to stopping these demons in anyway we can." He explained shortly. "We fight because of our beliefs, and because this is our home. When we found Yuffie, we saw an opportunity to understand the demons better-"

"But Yuffie ISN'T a demon." I interjected, half angry, half panicked.

"Not a full one. She still possessed a lot of the powers a full-blooded demon would, and though she herself still doesn't know the full extent of her abilities, it was a plus for us all around. Demons can sense their own kind. Her being a half-breed shouldn't stop that. And the power she can wield holds a massive potential against the demon hordes."

Irritated at hearing the word 'demon' again, I grumbled, "How can you just keep calling them 'demons'? Their just monsters from…somewhere else."

"It's what they call themselves, therefore what we call them."

"And what do you plan to do with Spider?"

His face darkened a fraction. "We're going to squeeze every bit of information out of her. She should know about the demons plans and where a lot of them are. Once we get our feet back onto the ground, we'll use that information to our best advantage."

"She's not a tool."

"She isn't human."

Feeling insulted, I glared at him angrily. "You can't just use her up and throw her away like that! She isn't evil, she isn't even a _teenager_ for Ifrit's sake!"

And at this, Meridian raised an eyebrow at me. Coolly, he replied, "If you're so confident of her supposed 'humanity' and innocence, why haven't you thanked her yet for saving your life?"

My cheeks flared and my claw tightened. But I couldn't say anything. He was right. He was absolutely right.

Meridian had come across as a gentlemen, an aristocrat, and a soft spoken leader. But seeing him now, all I could think was how much of a prejudice jerk he was.

And I felt horrible, because in truth, I was no better then him.

Unlike me, who was so mad I couldn't even think up something decent to say, he didn't seem bothered at all. His hands were in his pockets and when seeing I wouldn't say anything, he returned his gaze to the night sky.

Irritated, I left.

And it was on my way to my cabin that I found Yuffie sitting slumped against her own door. Alarmed, I stammered her name.

"Yuffie!?"

She looked up at me, and I immediately pitied her. She looked a wreck. I suppose being half a cat demon didn't help her any with her problem of sea sickness.

Green faced, she smiled weakly at me. "…Hiya Tiffy."

Trying to ignore the shiver I got when her eyes locked with mine, I frowned down at her. "What are you doing sitting out here?"

Yuffie's face soured and she pushed herself up into a better sitting position. "That little brat won't shut up."

I blinked. "You mean Spider?"

"Who else could I be talking about?"

I shrugged, "Do you think it's wise to leave her in there alone?"

Yuffie snorted. "The worse she can do is get her head stuck in a pillow."

"What was she bothering you about?"

"She's 'hungry'."

"Did you tell her to wait till shore?"

"Yes. She still wouldn't shut up."

"You do know she's looking to you right now. No one else will have her."

"Does that include you?"

My face turned a light shade of pink and I looked away. "Have you tried talking to her about…well…everything?"

"Mm, hmm. She wouldn't stop complaining about hunger though. I couldn't get her to talk about anything else. After a while, I couldn't take it anymore. So I just sat myself here and locked her inside."

"Maybe if you broke a deal with her she'd talk?"

"She's a kid. I don't make deals with kids."

"Make an exception. I don't think you really have a choice on this, Yuffie."

She glared at me half heartedly, before she sighed and stood woozily to her feet. Wagging a finger at me, she said, "Okay. But you're in this too, alright?"

I nodded, silently wondering if I was somehow going to regret this in the future.

Taking out her key from her pocket, Yuffie turned and opened her door with fumbling hands. Muttering a few curses, she managed to get it open, and the moment the door swung aside, Spider sprang up from the cot she was sitting on, red in the face with anger.

"I'm HUNGRY!"

In response, Yuffie slammed the door shut again.

I stared at her in disbelief. "Yuffie!"

Shaking her head, she stepped aside. "You see? She's just being a pest. She wouldn't talk when I wanted her talk and now she won't _shut up_ when I want her to."

"But you can't be so harsh with her!"

Yuffie laughed derisively, "Harsh!? Look, Tiffy. She's gotta learn who's boss now if she wants to come with us."

"But that's just the point, Yuffie! She didn't come of her own free will. You _made_ her come!"

Yuffie groaned, leaning against the wall next to the door. "Ugh…Tifa, can't we just talk about this later? I'm really not feeling so hot."

"Now you're using your sea sickness as an excuse. Don't hide from this Yuffie. We can't expect Spider to tell us anything if we treat her more like a prisoner. To her, if we treat her like that, it would be no better then the place she left."

Yuffie snorted, "She could've run off at any point in time. She _wanted_ to come. She just acted like she didn't."

"Maybe she didn't try because she knew she wouldn't get away? Just try and negotiate with her…"

"You do it. I'm afraid I'll either strangle her or throw up all over the place…"

Giving her a look, I shook my head and opened the door, slowly. This was the first time Spider and I really talked. The entire time before, we both had remained silent while everyone else handled things. Now it seemed we would be deciding something together.

Before I opened the door all the way, Spider peeked around, looking ready to shout again, but upon seeing me she froze. Needless to say, this wasn't a very encouraging action.

Clearing my throat nervously, I said, sounding completely awkward. "Um…Hello."

Spider stared at me, with wide eyes. Stepping back, she sat heavily on the bed and meekly stared down at the floor. My heart panged.

"You know…S-Spider…Yuffie would really like to talk to you."

Sniffing defiantly, she crossed her arms and pouted slightly. "I'm hungry."

I bit my lip. "I know that, sweetie…but…but you have to wait till we get to shore. They don't serve food on board."

"Then won't talk."

"…How about this. We'll get you whatever you want once we reach shore. Then will you talk?"

"…Maybe."

I smiled nervously. "Um, okay. How about that then?"

Spider didn't say anything. Feeling the conversation was over, I shut the door.

Yuffie turned to me. "So that's it? Feed her, and she starts talking?"

I leaned against the wall opposite of her and frowned. "Were you not planning on feeding her to begin with?"

"That isn't what I meant."

I sighed. "Yes, I know…"

And from there we talked about…a lot of things. We talked about stuff from her new body, to her new friends, to her feelings about…everything. And I told her of how things had been for the last two years for me, and how strange things got recently. Finally, sleep overwhelmed us both, and with barely stifled yawns we said good night and went to our respective rooms.

There I went into a rather uncomfortable sleep until morning came and woke me.

So we arrived on shore okay. Spider was attracting a lot of stares with her makeshift outfit, and I pointed this out to Yuffie. She only shrugged and said we'd get her clothes of her own, but for now Beatrix could lend something. Beatrix, who overheard, looked ready to protest, but Yuffie gave her a look that said something along the lines of "you _owe_ me", and that was that.

We checked into a backwater hotel in the older part of town. (A lot had been added over the two years. What with a whole wave of people coming in from Midgar) Beatrix let Spider choose some clothes, but all she picked was a simple lavender top with purple pants. No shoes, no socks, no sweater.

Annoyed, Yuffie tried to get her to wear the sandals she and Beatrix had gotten, but Spider wouldn't have it.

Rather then take the sandals, she only glared and snapped, "I'm hungry!"

Aggravated, Yuffie turned to me, some of her hair falling into her eyes. "Tiffy, we'll be right back…we've got to feed this twerp or she'll drive us all insane."

And when she left, Meridian came to me and said, "I suggest you stay here for the time being. It wouldn't be the best thing to go wandering off alone. Julius, Mikau, and Taerk will be seeing a man about some needed supplies. Beatrix and Ern will keep you company."

I didn't want to be left with Beatrix. But I couldn't have said 'no', now could I? Sighing, I nodded wearily. "Fine. That's fine…"

And they were gone.

Gritting my teeth I sat down at my bed, grabbing my backpack. Since I didn't seem to have any thing of importance to do, I figured I'd write in my journal, but then Beatrix sat at the end of the bed, and I glared up at her through my bangs.

Biting her lip, she wrung her hands in her lap and gave me a sidelong glance. Shutting my journal with a snap, I asked crisply, "Yes?"

She rubbed the back of her neck. "Look…um,"

Out of the corner of my eye I could see Ern at the other bed, watching Beatrix openly.

"I…I wanted to apologize." Beatrix muttered, going red. "I didn't mean to cause trouble, honest I didn't. It was just…oh bugger…"

I shook my head. "Forget it." I said shortly.

I wasn't really in the mood for 'talking about it', or 'making up'.

Beatrix shook her head. "No, I'm serious. It wasn't right for me to do what I did. I just…I just _really_ wanted to help! You didn't see her. She was a wreck. Mumbling and moping. That can't be the Yuffie you know, can it?"

Grudgingly I shook my head. Couldn't we do this later? I thought sullenly.

"An'…An'…well, I figured, if she got in contact with you again, she'd be alright. And she is! I haven't seen her so chipper!"

"Are you apologizing or trying to prove you didn't do anything wrong?" I snapped, glaring at her.

Ern shook his head and turned away, grabbing the television guide from the bedside table.

Beatrix stuttered. "I-I…no! No, of course not!"

But she had already pushed my limit of patience, and that morning I had little to none. A horrible sleep usually does that people. So does being tricked and surprised left and right the night before. "Barely any time has passed at all. You don't know how any of this will turn out, so I think it's more then a little presumptuous of you to go making conclusions so early on. Especially after what you did."

Startled, she got up quickly. "Sorry…" she muttered, and face turning a dark shade of crimson, she locked herself in the bathroom.

Sighing, I opened my journal again, but instead of writing, I read back through some of my previous entries. I felt guilty, reading through the pages, reliving that last night with Cloud and those few days with Spider. Part of me wanted to kick myself for not seeing things sooner. For being so caught up in my misery and self-pity that I didn't pay attention to details that would have sent red flares up in my head two years ago.

But I've decided such a wish had to be ignored. If I didn't stay in the now, I would only lose my chance to make up for all the things I missed.

So I'll end my entry here.

I'm feeling anxious. This room has a funny smell to it and my legs feel restless. I'm gonna go for a walk. I can't just sit still. If I continue to harbor this nervous energy, I'll go insane…If I haven't already.


	17. Mischief and Bright Ideas

With a sigh, Tifa closed her journal. What more could she say at this point? She stood and stretched, and with a glance at Ern and the bathroom door, she picked up her coat from the end of the bed. "I'm gonna go out for a bit," she said as she made for the door, "I'll be back soon."

Bu before she so much as turned the doorknob, Ern started up, "Y-You're going by your self!?"

She gave him a withering look. "Yes. I am."

He paled. "But it's t-t-too dangerous!"

Exasperated, Tifa growled and rubbed at her eyes. Lowering her hands, she gave a big shrug and placed a hand on her hip. "Then why don't you come with me if yer' so worried?" she snapped.

Taken aback by this proposal, Ern scratched the place behind his ear and glanced at the bathroom door. Tifa narrowed her eyes. "No. I'm not doing anything with her. If _you_ won't come with me, I'm leaving now. By myself."

Shoulders slumping, Ern gave her a resigned expression and moved to get his coat. Tifa was sure, that if he were a dog, he'd have his big ears folded back and his tail in between his legs.

"A-Alright…" he mumbled.

Nodding once, Tifa opened the door, and Ern trailing behind her, they left the motel room.

--

"Kid, if you take that hat off one more time, I'll knock you so hard upside the head with this bottle of soda, you'll be singing commercial melodies for the rest of your unnatural life."

Yuffie turned a number of heads at this remark, sparking murmurs of child abuse in those around them.

Perusing the aisles for snacks in the local grocer, the kitty-ninja paid them no mind, instead concerning her self with the array of choices she had before her. Spider stood sullenly behind her, the hood of Beatrix's trench coat she was wearing smashing her ears painfully against her head and covering her eyes so she had to tilt her head back to see past the brim. She looked comical, whereas the trench just about swallowed her whole. She had, of course, complained, but Yuffie said as assertively as one could, "It covers yer' tail and yer' birthday suit. Your wearing it and that's final."

Glowering at the half-demons back, Spider considered chucking a jar of bean dip at her head.

Yuffie sighed. "Damnit, don't they have anything edible?"

The truth was, when they first came into the store, Yuffie had given Spider free choice of what she wanted. But when the young demon returned with an entire cart full of junk food and sweets, she decided it best that SHE chose what the girl would eat. But as she started looking for something low in sugar, she began thinking of the others, especially Tifa, and wondering if they may perhaps want something. Then, her stomach growled and she realized that she would need a good deal more food.

After snagging nearly 15 boxes of frozen fish sticks and one big bag of chips, she began looking for something for herself. Afterward she planned to resume her search for a suitable snack for Spider, but so far it had been almost an hour and she still couldn't make up her mind.

"Several days of barely eating and you'd think I'd be in the mood for anything…" Yuffie grumbled, her tail swishing idly beneath her coat.

Spider rolled her eyes and turned her gaze down the hall shivering a little where she stood. Why was this infernal place so cold? She sighed and sat down on the floor, raising an eyebrow at those who skirted around her in bewilderment. Yuffie continued to mumble absently to her self. "I wonder if they've got kupo nuts in here somewhere…"

Another ten minutes went by.

Fed up, Spider began to crawl silently away…

Meanwhile Yuffie remained oblivious, "'Salted Chocobo Cookies'? …Hey that sounds…absolutely _disgusting_."

Spider continued to crawl on all fours to the surprise and horror of the other store patrons. They gasped as she weaved in between their legs. Spider quickly entered the aisle next to the one Yuffie was in. Glancing at the shelves, she wrinkled her nose at the chew toys and bags of dog and cat food she saw. Fed up with the linoleum floor, she stood to her feet and examined the products more carefully, not understanding the labels or words but knowing their meaning (for most of them) just the same. She stopped as her eyes lay sight to a medium sized bottle filled with some kind of herb or grass. The label showed a Cheshire cat grinning from ear to ear.

Eyebrow quirking, Spider carefully picked up the bottle. She shook it. Turned it over. Then, cocking her head to one side, she sniffed it.

Back in the other aisle, Yuffie had come to ends. "Cripes, this sucks. I guess I'll just take another bag of chips…Hey, Spider, you want one too?" No answer. Frowning, Yuffie turned around and stopped cold. "…Spider?"

With miraculous timing, a scream split the air shortly after her utterance and Yuffie's face turned ashen. "Sp-Spider!?"

A woman with nest-like hair was shrieking like a banshee, her hand covering her huge mouth and her eyes turning to perfect circles. As is custom, a crowd quickly formed and a number of other people joined the frenzied woman in her hysteria.

"Oh my god! Oh my god!"

"What the hell is she doing!?"

"Somebody call for help!"

Pushing through the crowd, Yuffie fought her way to the front and was greeted with a horrific sight.

Spider, with her hood down and ears revealed, her face and coat smeared in what looked like oregano, was tearing the aisle apart, an insane look in her eyes. Several empty bottles were on the floor, a sea of the oregano looking substance coating the ground joined by dog and cat food and a variety of torn and broken toys.

It took Yuffie but a split second to realize what the 'oregano' really was. "Shiva! That's _catnip!!_" she exclaimed.

Now rolling in it, Spider was about ready to free herself of her coat when Yuffie scooped her up and barreling through the throng of flabbergasted onlookers, ran out of the store.

Several blocks later, sitting, of course, high up on a rooftop, Yuffie stood glowering down at the now sober Spider. The young girl in question, her hood flipped back up, took sudden interest in her feet and refused to make eye contact with Yuffie. It was very well that she did that. For her to look up into Yuffie's face at this point would have earned her a good thrashing.

Taking a deep breath, Yuffie hissed, "And just what do you have to say for yourself." Her father often said this to her, and having no other example to follow for such a situation, she said the same. Spider shrugged.

Going red in the cheeks, Yuffie bit her knuckle. Hard. After another deep breath she said, "You do realize that not only did that scene of yours prevent us from getting our food, it also kinda…sorta…_BLEW OUR BLOODY COVER!_" At this last bit she hopped around on the spot like a child throwing a tantrum, and Spider barely managed to stifle a snicker.

Yuffie stopped again, breathing like a rhinoceros, when she calmed, she threw her hands up in the air and asked. "…Why did you leave my side!?"

Spider shrugged again. "Was bored…"

Yuffie gave her an incredulous look. "…You were _bored?_" For a second she looked like she was going to have another fit but she only allowed a short, "Gah!" before storming back toward the street. Spider followed anxiously asking shrilly, "What about food?"

"Yeah what about it?" Yuffie grumbled as she hopped down into the narrow alley. Spider followed her and with an alarmed voice cried, "Not getting any!?"

"No. We're not." Yuffie snapped. Emerging onto the street, she began charging in the direction of the motel.

Spider, quick on her heels shouted, "Won't tell you anything if won't get food!"

Yuffie grit her teeth, and with the anger she had gained with her demonhood, said in a black voice, "Oh you'll tell me what I want to hear. …I've got ways to _make_ you."

All together the sound of Spider following behind her ceased, and Yuffie, annoyed, stopped and glared back at her.

The cat girl was staring at her with a strange expression on her face. Puzzled, the kitty-ninja turned fully and regarded her with an expression of open confusion. "What's the matter with you?"

Spider turned to stare at the ground. "Not hurt me…right?"

Yuffie blinked in surprise at the question. "…What?"

Spider sat heavily down onto the sidewalk and gazed at the cement with an expression that frightened the ninja. "If I talk. Won't hurt me?"

"I…yeah. Of course I won't." Yuffie moved toward her, "Hey, I was just mad. I didn't mean I was gonna hurt you or nothin'…Why? Did your master, or whatever the heck he was…did he…_hurt_ you?"

Spider didn't answer. She only sniffed and wiped her nose on her sleeve.

Yuffie, not sure what to do, sat next to her on the sidewalk. They sat silently for a while, watching the occasional car pass with fleeting interest. Several passers-by regarded them with annoyance and confusion, but as per usual, they didn't pay any of them any mind. After yet another moment passed by, Yuffie saw a rather wealthy looking gentleman exit a bar, tottering a bit with flushed cheeks and a goofy smile. From here, the sun seemed to light up his jewelry and expensive watch, and after a moment of watching him, a sly and mischievous smile trademark of the girl Yuffie was two years ago spread across her face. Nudging Spider, Yuffie pointed at the man. "You see him? Watch what I'm going to do. You just stay here, okay?"

Hopping onto her feet, Yuffie swaggered across the street making sure to smile her sweetest and to even sway her hips a little. The man saw her approaching, and he blinked stupidly at her as she stopped in his path. "Why hello sir, I was just wondering," and at this she stepped closer, "Where can I find the lingerie store?"

The man stared. Yuffie tried not to imagine what lecherous thoughts the man could be having. Rubbing his neck he slurred, "Ah…well…I dunno missy. I guesh you'd have ta go down ter Parkson Street and check thar…" he gestured vaguely. Yuffie hopped to his side and pressed her self close to him, resisting to gag at the strong smell of alcohol. Staring in the direction he pointed she asked, "Where was that now?" Meanwhile her hand crept up his back.

The man, startled, made as if to turn, but using her right hand, the one that had by now reached his neck, Yuffie turned his head and leaned her face closer, pointing down the street. "Down there right?"

Silently, Yuffie unhooked the platinum necklace from around his neck and discreetly stuffed it into her pocket. Face turning even redder, the man stammered, "Y-Yesh. Down thar."

Spider who had been watching the whole affair with disgust, now blinked in surprise and admiration. How clever and daring of the half-breed! Who knew thievery could be so endearing?

One by one, Yuffie stripped the man of his valuables, and when she ran out of jewelry to take, she moved onto clothes. She kept him distracted with one hand, stole with the other, and chattered animatedly the entire time without tire. When she was satisfied, she took a large step back. "Well, thank you very much sir! I think I can find the lingerie store just fine now!" all the while concealing as best she could the coat, tie, and handkerchief behind her back. In her pockets she had three rings, the necklace, a pair of diamond earrings, a pair of sunglasses, a platinum watch, and, of course, the man's wallet.

The man nodded, flustered, and went tottering off with a bewildered look on his face, no doubt wondering why he felt as if something were missing.

Crossing the street back to Spider, Yuffie smirked. "I'm _so_ awesome."

Spider gazed in awe as Yuffie handed her the multitude of things she managed to steal. "You can keep what you like, I haven't got any use for any of this stuff."

Spider blinked. Awkwardly holding up the pair of black sunglasses while holding everything else with her other arm, she examined them, sniffed them…then put them on. Yuffie smiled as she watched Spider examine the watch next, and as she looked on, an idea hit her.

Didn't Elmyra live here in Kalm?

Yuffie bit her lip and recalled the street she lived on. It was on the outskirts of town, in the oldest part of Kalm. What would happen if she visited the woman? Surely not the same thing as what happened with Tifa. If she made absolutely sure her ears and tail was concealed, as well as Spider's, perhaps she could pass off all right… At any rate. If she went to Elmyra's, guaranteed she and Spider would get some food. Most importantly…FREE food.

Still unsure, she bade Spider to follow her. The cat girl, meanwhile, didn't protest. She was too preoccupied with her new stuff.

--

"W-Where are we going?"

"I don't know, Ern. Quit asking me."

"But we've b-b-been walking around f-for ages!"

"It's only been half an hour, stop complaining! I didn't _make_ you come with me!"

"B-But y-you aren't _doing_ anything!"

"Its how I walk, okay?"

"…I'm t-tired…"

"Then go BACK, Ern! Shiva, you can be such a _pain!_"

"…But I don't know h-how to get b-back…"

"Oh for Ifrit's sake…"

Tifa stopped in her tracks and turned to the simpering man behind her. "Why did you come with me if you were going to be so miserable?" she asked in annoyance.

Ern shrugged, "I c-couldn't leave you out here a-alone!"

"But if you're so fearful, how do you expect to 'protect' me when danger comes along? I saw you last night, you aren't exactly the bravest."

"W-Well…"

"Not another word, either you're with me or you're leaving." Tifa said firmly. If there was one thing she learned from Barret, it was how to put her foot down.

Ern winced. "A-alright."

They started walking again.

"…T-Tifa?"

The woman stopped and sighed. She had only known the man since last night, and he already felt like a thorn that had resided in her side for much too long. "Now what do you want?"

He kicked his shoe bashfully. "I'm…k-k-kinda hungry…"

The fighter pinched the bridge of her nose. "Alright, _fine_. We'll get you something to eat. What do you want to have?"

"I dunno…"

"Ern."

"Really, I've n-no idea!"

"Then we'll stop at a bar or a diner or something…" Tifa snapped, walking again.

"B-but-"

Stopping again, Tifa closed her eyes. Without even bothering to turn around, she hissed through her teeth. "What is it _now?_"

"I don't w-want t-to eat at a b-b-b-bar…o-or a d-diner…."

Tifa stared at him. And the man stared down at his shoes. "I-I….I just don't f-feel like it." He continued.

Tifa considered just telling him to go kick a Chocobo when she realized where they were. Turning on the spot, her brow creased in thought as she realized just how far they had walked. Maybe that was why Ern was so whiny. Tifa hadn't even noticed. Between wondering what happened to her life to what she was going to do from here on till whenever, she hadn't realized that the two of them had wandered into the older part of town. The part that had originally been here before all the expanding and new development.

The old, gray bricks and cracked and weeded sidewalk went on for a short time more before turning out of sight.

Was the old plaza nearby? Tifa wondered.

Taking a few steps away from Ern, who was anxiously watching her, the fighter glanced around. At the other side of the street, down at the corner was the little barbershop with the swirly post. Lips tugging back into a smile, Tifa turned to Ern. "Come on, I know a place we can eat!"

Confused, Ern followed her as the woman began walking again, now with more bounce in her step.

The plaza was nearby! It was a simple matter of walking a few blocks to the place she and the others had first came to when they escaped from Midgar. The area hadn't changed at all since two years ago. Things were only added onto it. But the one thing that had changed was the residents, of which there was one person whom Tifa knew personally who had moved in not so long ago, and whom she now sought in hopes of gaining a sane reality.

"Elmyra, it's been so long!" Tifa thought as she and Ern made their way to the said woman's home.


	18. Mrs Black

A nice situation she had landed herself in…sitting here…in the dark. Some foreign instinct told her to stay here. Where the light couldn't get her. Where it couldn't burn her up and turn her to dust and ashes. There was a simple logic to this. Dark, good. Light, bad. But no matter how simple this logic was it didn't make her any more willing to follow it. She wanted out of this shadowy prison. Away from the fears, the instinct, and the blood.

Not her blood of course.

The woman's blood.

She couldn't remember her name. She remembered that Shinra had held her captive at some point to keep Cloud and his friends in check. She remembered reading the woman's file as being the wife of a man who had died in Wutai during the Western Invasion. She remembered thinking at some point, "What a sweet lady…I feel sorry for her."

…She also remembered standing over her dead body, her lips cracked and pale, her mouth dry and her breath ragged. She remembered kneeling down, bending over her prone body, draining the blood that was left from her corpse.

Now she was huddled in a corner, her knees hugged to her chest, staring at the very same corpse, a feeling akin to horror writhing in her chest like a creature ready to burst straight through her rib cage.

SHE hadn't killed the woman. She hadn't done anything to the woman…the poor woman…the _stupid_ woman. What was the old hag doing? Letting strangers into the house? A stranger like her? An assassin? A mercenary? A stranger like HIM! A maniac! A murderer! It was that kind of compassion that she never understood. If SHE received a panic stricken girl bleeding and with a pistol in her hand on HER doorstep, she would have either slammed the door shut or shot the heffer with her own damn gun.

But no…not this woman. She had to be a compassionate and caring person, a person innocent and oblivious to the danger…oblivious to the _death_ that she was ushering into her home. The girl, huddled in the corner, with her arctic cold blue eyes, stared at the blood stained white carpet. Then at the corpse. Then at the various trinkets and things lining the walls in the room. Dolls, pictures, and figurines; these were the typical assets of an elderly woman living alone.

The room used to smell like lilacs and baby powder. She remembered that much. Now it smelled like blood and decay. But who was decaying? She? Or the corpse? Most likely both, because she was sure she was no longer living.

Thinking back she tried to recall the beginning of this horror that had become her reality. She tried to focus the blurry images of her memory, tried to pick out just where things went wrong and how she came to be here. How the woman came to suffer from a fate meant for her. How she lost her humanity, a fragile thing, to something much viler than anything she could have ever dreamed of…

A lifetime of moments draining down into one, the girl closed her eyes and thought back. Rewound to the most recent events of her life, where she found her identity. Her past. And the start of her future.

Elena, ex-Turk turned assassin/bounty hunter, started from the beginning that was then and continued on till the end that was present, thinking with uncharacteristically morbid tones, "And here is the start of my reckoning."

And she was absolutely right.


	19. A Dark Gift, A Dark Beginning

It was cold.

Sitting in the dark ruins of a nefarious city, Midgar, this was but one of the many thoughts that flashed across Elena's mind as she contemplated her current situation.

She was alone. In the middle of a monster and criminal infested ghost of a city with just two 9mm pistols and a lousy motorbike. Now, she wasn't so much afraid of one monster or one cutthroat. Elena, since the fall of Shinra, had learned some new tricks, thanks to Rude. He helped her improve her ghastly punch and her abysmal aim, and in return, when she had learned all she could from the stoic man, she left him alone, asking no more favors of him.

On her own, she improved and grew stronger and more experienced. When she had first joined the Turks, the idea of really KILLING someone made her queasy. Now, it was a simple matter of pulling a trigger. It was just something she had to get used to. The more she killed, the easier it became. Though true, she may never be on par with Rude or Reno, she was still capable of many things.

Her work as a gun-for-hire became the main focus of her life. She was independent. Now, people were going to her because of her capabilities and style. She was reckless, she admitted, and still _barely_ experienced in the art of negotiation. But so far she had met only with success and fortune, and was finally making a name for herself.

But here, in the dark, any creature, be it man or beast, when in a fair sized group, could easily overwhelm her, despite all her skill and strength.

Thus, Elena tapped her foot impatiently, her breaths coming in wisps of smoke before her. The anonymous letter she had received had told her to come here specifically, to wait until someone came with the information of the one they wanted her to find.

This wasn't an unusual request for Elena. She had had two other employers in the past that asked to meet the same way. It was less easy to trace or eavesdrop on conversations like that when no electronic devices were in use.

But the person she was supposed to meet was late. This made Elena anxious, and she _hated _being anxious.

The woman considered getting on her bike and leaving when a smooth voice, dripping with arrogance rang soundly behind her. "Sorry I'm late."

Elena jumped slightly and turned around. Her mouth dropped and she sputtered, "R-Reno??"

And indeed it was he.

Burnt amber eyes lit with smug amusement as the scar on his cheek crinkled in light of his smile. Strands of hair curtained his eyes and forehead, framing his face. His hair in general had grown larger, making him look fierce and untamed. His hands were shoved carelessly into the pockets of his dark denim jeans.

Chuckling, Reno winked. "It's me, in the flesh." Pushing the hair out of his face in that trademark fashion of his, he asked simply, "Did'ja miss me?"

Elena was at a loss for words.

It had been ages since she had heard from the capricious young man. She didn't know what to think. How to react. Should she be angry? Should she be glad?

She decided to play it cool.

Regaining her composure, she asked, "What are you doing here?" Her voice was steady. It had been something she picked up from Rude.

Raising his eyebrows, Reno whistled. "Well now…aren't _you_ all grown up?" He grinned, "All right. I'll tell you why I'm here." He began to walk slowly, taking deliberate steps around Elena, circling her like a shark, his eyes never leaving her. "I've got a proposition for you." He said after a long moment of just staring her down.

"Well I know _that!_" Elena snapped, growing agitated. "Just tell me what you want. You've wasted enough of my time!"

Reno's grin widened and Elena felt a chill run up her spine as she eyed his teeth.

My…what sharp teeth he had.

"Okay, okay. Slow down. This isn't any normal proposition." He pushed his hair out of his face again. "I've been working for this person, they're from out of town, and they gave me permission to invite two other people into our little underground organization. Convenient, eh?" He added with a smirk. "Well our organization is dedicated to the survival of a dying culture. It also helps preserve our dying race." He placed a reverent hand on his chest, and Elena wrinkled her nose at him in confusion. "This is a great cause Elena. You're paid well. You're given an array of resources like you wouldn't believe, all standard too. You actually have fun. And-" as he circled around her for the dozenth time, he brushed intimately past her, whispering in her ear, "The health benefits are nothing short of amazing."

Elena flinched away from him at this, noting that his breath stunk something horrible.

Arching his eyebrow, Reno came to a stop in front of her. "Does that sound like a job you would take?"

Elena shrugged timidly. "I suppose so…but what's the catch?"

Reno's face grew dark, and he smiled sardonically. "I myself don't consider this much of a problem, but you see…once you take this job, it's yours for life. You can't quit. Of course, the only way out is if you…" and here his smile grew larger. "…Die."

Elena stared. "What the hell kind of offer is that?"

"A good one." Reno said firmly, crossing his arms. "Do you want it or not?"

Elena snorted, "Why should I take it? I get by fine on my own."

"Listen to yourself, Elena." Reno said, staring intensely into her face. "'You get by fine'? That's the kind of thing somebody says when they're living the hard life."

"Is not." Elena snapped, turning her back to him huffily. "What is it that you people do that's so much easier anyway?"

"Oh…the same stuff we did as the Turks. …Only better."

"Well that doesn't make any sense. How is just working for _your_ organization any different from when we worked with Shinra? We'll be doing the same things after all, as you put it."

"With us, you won't have to go through everything alone. We'll be there for you. It'll be cake, Elena, compared to the crap Shinra put us up for."

"Who's 'we'?" Elena sneered as she glared at Reno over her shoulder. "You're making this 'organization' sound like some kind of cult now!"

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah. Okay. I'll admit they do some pretty weird crap some times. And yes, they DO have some beliefs of their own, but I'm telling you now, _it's worth it!_"

"_Sure_ it is." Elena made to grab her bike helmet, but a pair of arms turned her roughly around and she found herself eye to eye with a pair of furious eyes.

"Don't you want to be special? To be powerful? Don't you fear death?"

"Let GO of me!" Elena shouted, wincing as Reno's fingers dug into her arms.

Eyes narrowing, he hissed, "Answer me!"

"I don't know!" Why was he so angry all of a sudden?

"You don't know? How can you not know? How can you not want to be a step above others, to never fear death again?"

"Reno, what are you talking about!?" She shrank back as he leaned forward, the stench of his breath and the intensity of his eyes making her wish she were anywhere but where she was now. Professional guise slipping, she whispered in a quaky voice, "You're scaring me Reno…"

"Answer me, Elena. Don't you want to never have anything to fear again?"

Elena blinked slowly. Reno was horribly close. So close in fact, that she could make out the details of his eyes. Faintly, she could hear the sound of her heartbeat, like a drum, pounding in her ears. She could hear her own ragged breaths, uneven and course as they were. She could hear herself whispering, "Yes…"

Then Reno bit his lip, and she stared as blood came oozing from the cut he made, and in the next second, his lips were on hers, smothering and demanding. The metallic taste of his blood splashed onto her tongue and she felt herself grow weak and the smoke in her head grew thicker as he deepened the kiss, forcing her to swallow the blood in her mouth.

He pulled back briefly, panting, and she could see all the unsaid promises sparking in his eyes. Like a spell she was enchanted, and someplace faraway she could hear him ask, "Will you join me?"

Elena couldn't remember saying yes to this. Nor could she remember moving at all. But in the next second, she registered her head being tilted to the side and Reno leaning toward her neck. It wasn't until she felt the searing pain of something sharp sinking into her flesh that she came out of her daze enough to realize that…

…Reno was biting her.

And after the shock and horror subsided enough to allow her time to react, she awkwardly and sluggishly drew her left pistol from its holster and, jamming it into Reno's stomach screamed, "Get _off_ of me!"

She pulled the trigger, and Reno jerked back, stumbling away before looking down at his stomach in numb surprise.

Heaving, Elena continued to point the gun at him, feeling her legs grow weak as she felt the warm blood, HER blood, pouring from her neck.

Reno, touching the bloody gunshot wound, lifted his head slightly, a murderous look on his face. His teeth were bared, sharp as they were, and his hair fell before his flaming eyes.

An animalistic growl escaping his lips, he straightened, rolling his shoulders back deliberately as he did so. Elena was automatically drawn to his chest, her gun lowering some as she took in his exemplary physique, complimented by the white cotton long sleeved shirt he was wearing. But her attention was once again snapped back to where it should have been as Reno leapt forward, mouth open wide as if ready to devour her.

Elena cried out in alarm, raising her arm up again, and without thinking, she fired.

A direct hit. Right in the forehead.

Reno, his face going blank, fell forward in a heap, crashing at Elena's feet. There he stayed unmoving. Swooning, Elena let the pistol slip from her hand, and soundlessly, she fell to the ground, hard on her rear. She stared with an ashen face at the corpse that now lay before her.

Her shirt was sopping with her own blood. She had to make it stop.

Taking her shirt, she ripped off a good portion and held it to the wound on her neck, wincing as she applied pressure to it. Elena never was one for first aid. Stupid, really. Considering the work she was in.

For what seemed ages, she stared at Reno's still form, her eyes fluttering occasionally from the dizziness.

After yet another long moment of staring, she finally whispered, "You fucking bastard…" before blacking out.

When she awoke again, it was still night. Though she couldn't see the sky because of the plate (some of it was indeed still intact) she could still tell that it was night because it was darker then it would have been should it have been day. Shifting, she groaned. Her neck was stiff and sore. Bewildered, Elena slowly pushed herself up into a sitting position.

She felt weak. Running a hand through her hair, she stared around her. She was still in the same dilapidated street. And as far as she could tell, only a few hours had passed since she lost consciousness. But there was one glaring detail wrong here.

Reno's body was gone.

Alarm seizing her worse than before, Elena stumbled to her feet, gasping at the sudden wave of dizziness that hit her.

She heard a growl.

Eyes wide and fearful, Elena turned on the spot. "Who's there!?"

The crunch of feet on granite was her reply and at the sound she jumped.

Fear now controlling her actions, Elena ran and climbed hurriedly onto her bike. With a squeal of the tires, she sped off, leaving her helmet and other pistol behind in all her haste.

One can argue that her actions were foolish. She had just been bitten in the neck and lost a good deal of blood not too long ago. To ride a motorbike was beyond comprehension and defied all common sense rules. And not only did she get on the bike in the first place, she left her helmet and even one of her pistols behind. Now she was speeding dangerously down a dark road riddled with debris.

But something was different about Elena.

As weak as she felt, her senses were sharper and her reactions and reflexes quicker. It was the only reason she heard what she did back on the street. The only reason she hadn't crashed yet and was now speeding out of Midgar, down the road to Kalm.

Her wound was no longer a deep gash, but a shallow flesh wound that would heal quickly. The blood on her skin had dried and the blood on her clothes, though not completely dry as of yet, was now only sticky and turning stiff.

Unaware of her changes, Elena drove on till Kalm could be seen on the horizon. A sweet sanctuary to a girl fueled by fear.

But she became aware of the feeling that something was following her. Glancing back briefly, she saw to her bewilderment, a giant black shadow flying along behind her on the road. But the strange thing was, there were no clouds to MAKE shadows on the ground.

Above all the engine noise she could hear the sharp clops of hooves on the pavement and the sinister chuckles of a bodiless group.

Frightened, Elena tried pushing the bike to go faster, but it trembled beneath her.

It was going too fast. It was already threatening to spill her over.

The shadow however, as if to tease her, didn't advance or speed up. It remained the same distance behind her always until she zoomed into the streets of Kalm. Then the shadows and the hooves and the laughter were all gone as quickly as they came.

Coming to an urgent stop, Elena stayed sitting on her bike, gripping the handlebars with a tight grip.

Breaths coming in short gasps, she eventually pried her fingers away from her bike and slowly swung off, stumbling a little as she did so. The bike fell over with a clatter and she stared at it before moving on down the street, not even bothering to go back and prop it up or park it somewhere more appropriate. Shaking, Elena tried to make sense of her fragmented thoughts.

"Reno…Reno is a…a…"

And she couldn't bring herself to say it. How absurd. How absolutely absurd. It was a myth. A stupid myth told to children who went romping around at night. But as she stared down at herself, her hand absently flying to the wound on her neck, she murmured hoarsely, "Well…you might as well call me the bloofer lady…"

For a split second she thought, "I need to go to a hospital." But then she realized that, Reno being what he was…if her theory was true of course…then the hospital was a horrible place to go. They accepted everyone there. But at the realization that it was only indoors where she would truly be safe, Elena grew hysterical. They, HE could come flying down at her at any moment out here in the street! And as if sensing her realization, she felt the familiar feeling of being followed creep up her back again, and with a sudden burst of energy she ran.

Where could she go that wouldn't allow just any stranger who showed up inside?

Why one of these houses of course.

Running to one of the houses, she shouted and banged on the front door. "Help me! Please!!"

No answer.

She heard a low chuckle and her face twisting in despair she shot off again, farther this time. Charging into a familiar plaza, she jogged tiredly to the first house she saw and did the same as before. "Someone answer, please! Help! Help!" Still no answer. What was it with these people!?

Frantic and exhausted, Elena, instead of running another long length again, went on to the next house, whose lights flashed on at her cries. She banged on the door frantically. "Help! Please! Let me in!"

It didn't take long for the door to open before a sleep bedraggled elderly woman greeted her in her nightgown. "What is it dear, what's the mat-" she stopped as she saw the blood. "Oh my stars…"

Elena, fell to her knees, "Let me in, please!" she begged.

Confused and somewhat frightened, the woman did the first thing that she could think of.

Pulling Elena up, she quickly led the girl in. "Now come on dear, hurry now…" She shut the door behind her and set the lock on securely. Turning to Elena, she was about to ask something when the girl in question fell in a heap on her floor.

When Elena awoke again, it was this time to a wet sponge being applied to her forehead. Groaning, she pushed the sponge away and carefully opened her eyes. The woman was looking down at her, a worried expression on her face. Sitting back she asked, "How are you feeling, dear?"

Elena closed her eyes and swallowed. "I don't know." She was lying in a bed, a heavy quilt draping her. The room was lit only by a bedside lamp, which lit the woman's face in a peculiar way.

The woman in question frowned, "I cleaned you up. Your pants and jacket are in the washer. The shirt I'm afraid I had to throw away. I hope you don't mind."

Elena shook her head. Frowning, she lifted the quilt up some. "So who's clothes am I wearing?"

"My daughter's." Was the reply.

Elena stared at the woman with a quirked eyebrow. Her daughter's? Did her daughter like so much pink even at this age?

"What time is it?" Elena asked quietly, relaxing against the pillow.

The woman set the sponge on the tray on the bedside table. "It's eight in the morning. You passed out on my floor last night."

"Hey!" Elena shot up, ignoring the stabs of pain that went through her head and neck. "Where's my gun??"

The woman pursed her lips. "It's on the dresser…I threw the bullets away though."

Elena made an indignant noise.

"I don't mean to be pushy," continued the woman, "But I'd like to know what was chasing you and most importantly I want to know what happened to your neck. That isn't normal."

"Something bit me…" Was Elena's vague reply.

"What in the gods name were you doing that made something bite you like that?"

"I really don't feel like discussing this with a complete stranger."

The woman's brows furrowed. "Even a complete stranger who gave you shelter?"

"Lady, you really shouldn't pry into things you can't understand. _I _don't even understand it." Elena said, turning her head.

"You're in _my_ house. I'd like to know just whom I'm harboring here. You didn't have any ID with you."

"No ID usually means 'don't ask questions'."

The woman narrowed her eyes. "Young lady what happened to you last night?"

Elena turned and looked back at her, giving her a look that said something along the lines of 'and who do you think you are? My mother?' "I've already said, I don't WANT to discuss this with a complete stranger!" She hissed.

"_Excuse_ me." The woman stood, the tray in her hands. She looked horribly insulted and her cheeks were flushed a deep red. "When a young woman, a 'stranger', comes onto my doorstep seeking shelter from god knows what, I think I'm entitled to know. In all honesty, I could have locked you out, or the heavens forbid, _shoot_ you with your own gun after what you and those other monster did to me, that poor girl, and my daughter!"

Elena stared in disbelief, her mouth agape as she tried to process what she had just heard. The woman seemed surprised herself, and her eyes were shiny with tears. Bowing her head, she hurried out of the room, her face now an even deeper shade of red.

Flabbergasted, Elena stared at the wall, and after a moment, she closed her eyes and sighed. "Aw geez…"

The woman was standing at the end of the hall leading to the living room weeping. Elena, who had crept out of her room, was now approaching from behind, hugging the same wall. The sunlight bloomed at the end of the hallway, and Elena shivered at the sight of it, stopping just at the edge where the shadows met the light. The floor creaked beneath her weight, and the woman glanced back at her. "You should be in bed." She snapped with a sniff.

Elena sneered. "What, you think you can start crying and expect me to ignore that?"

"You did so before. I don't see the difference from then and now."

"There's plenty of difference. Then, I was doing my job."

"That wasn't a job." The woman scoffed.

"You're right." Elena's eyes turned to slits. "It was a _living_."

"Nor that either."

"Give me a break, I don't work for Shinra anymore!"

"Only someone with a cold heart can ignore the tears of a scared little girl like Marlene!"

"Your wrong. A weak person can ignore the cries of a child just the same. I was afraid of the consequences should I have done anything. Plus, I was stupid and ambitious. I tricked myself into believing The Turks could do no wrong. But there still wasn't a day gone by that girl's tears didn't break my heart. I'm different from the person I was two years ago." Elena ranted.

"If you've a reason to own a gun, your no different." The woman argued.

"I'm plenty different!"

"Then what were you doing last night? Why was your neck wounded? Why were you running?"

Elena sighed and leaned her head wearily against the wall. "You'll hate me. You'll think I'm crazy."

The woman snorted. "It can't be any worse than the impression I already have of you."

So, sliding down to the carpet, Elena told her everything. From the anonymous letter she had received in her mail to when she went to Midgar and met Reno. From the moment he bit her to the moment she came speeding into Kalm on her bike, a large ominous cloud tailing her.

When she finished the woman was staring at her with a strange expression on her face, and her eyes flitted down to the border that Elena was standing at, the border between the sunlight and the darkness. Shaking her head, she went shuffling away, muttering, "I need a brandy…"

Elena grumbled as she made her way back to her room. "I need one too."

Collapsing into the bed, she eventually went to sleep.

When she awoke again, she did so of her own accord. A funny taste was in her mouth. She was thirsty. She was _hungry_. The dizziness had greatly subsided and the painful stiffness in her neck was nearly gone. Rolling onto her back she noted with a groan that despite her improvement she still felt drained of energy. Annoyed, Elena sat up.

In that instant, the woman came into the room carrying a tray again, this time holding a bowl of steaming soup. "Oh. I was going to wake you." Her eyes traveled to Elena's neck and she swallowed. "I've brought you soup…_if_ you want it."

Elena smiled bitterly, not missing the hidden context of that sentence. "Thank you…"

The woman set the tray on the bedside table. "How…do you feel?"

"Weak." Was Elena's curt reply.

"Your neck. It looks much better."

"It feels better too."

"You look awfully pale you know."

"I work mostly at night."

"Are you feeling thirsty at all?"

"Look." Elena snapped through gritted teeth. "I know what you're getting at, okay? I see that gold cross around your neck, and I'm telling you now, you've nothing to fear from me."

"Are you sure?"

"No. But I'll leave if you want me too."

The woman sighed tiredly. "No, you can stay."

"…Awfully brave of you to trust someone like me. You said it before. I'm a monster. Now, it seems that's really turned literal."

"Would you rather I kicked you out?" The woman snapped, flustered.

Elena watched her carefully, thinking that the woman wouldn't be able to kick her out even if she really tried, but the thought fell away from her head. Shrugging almost childishly, Elena mumbled. "No. I just want you to trust me."

The woman's eyes softened.

* * *

"So you lost your daughter in the laundry?" Elena laughed. "You actually _lost_ her in all the clothes!?"

The woman chuckled. "Yes I did. She had hopped into the basket without my noticing. She was so small she could bury herself underneath all the clothes and I wouldn't notice. It took me an hour to find her; she was such a mischievous girl. But she was no less sweet." The woman sighed. "Bless that girl, she had such a good heart." She fell quiet and her face became sad and pensive.

Elena fell quiet as well, and she shifted uneasily on her place on the bed.

"You know, I hadn't been a part of the Turks yet when they kidnapped your daughter." She suddenly wanted the woman to understand that she hadn't had anything to do with it. She _needed_ her to know that she hadn't been an accomplice. She never had been.

The woman examined Elena, her soft gray eyes roaming over her thin pale face. She smiled a small, sad, shaky smile. "Thank you…it…helps to know that. It really does."

Elena smiled back at her for a brief moment before turning away. Awkward moments like these Elena disliked. She didn't enjoy feeling vulnerable. All together, she now wanted it to stop, so she started talking about something else. "So what have you been doing since Meteor?"

The woman blinked. "Oh, nothing really. Some volunteer work here and there. I fuss over my plants all day and tidy up the house when I need to…"

"You don't work?"

"No. Cloud and his friends insisted on giving me some of the money they earned in their adventures. I didn't want it, but they insisted, and so I've been living off of that this entire time."

Elena nodded and sighed as she felt the conversation die away. A silence fell between them, and she fiddled with the front of her shirt.

"Oh!"

Elena looked up at the woman with a frown. "What's the matter?"

"Your soup!" said the woman. "You still haven't eaten anything."

"Oh…" Elena wrung her hands. "I'm not all that hungry…" It was only a partial lie.

"Well it's gone cold anyhow…I'll just toss this."

"I'm really sorry."

"It's quite alright dear. Just excuse me a moment while I take care of this."

The woman left the room, leaving Elena alone. The girl in question rubbed her face and sighed heavily. Lowering her hands down to her mouth, she looked around the room. It was darker now than it was before. Surely night had come. But…how could she tell?

She wasn't sure.

But she felt it. It was night.

Elena dropped her hands down at her side and leaned forward.

Night. It was night.

Her eyes bulged.

It was _night!_

Jumping up, she clumsily charged out of the room, down the short hall into the living room. The woman-!

"Hello, Elena."

Elena stopped cold in her place, her face turning horror struck. "Reno!"

And indeed…it was _he_.

Smirking sinisterly he stood behind the glassy eyed woman, his hand on her shoulder. His forehead was clear of any bullet holes and the wound on his stomach was gone.

Elena began to slowly move forward. "Reno…don't…don't hurt her…Please." She swallowed hard. "She has nothing to do with this."

Reno raised an eyebrow. "She has plenty to do with this. She let you in. And now, she let me in too."

"But _how?_"

"Surely you must know the hypnotic powers we possess."

Elena began to shake. "You—You fucking bastard!"

"Take another step, Elena." Reno's hand moved to the woman's neck. "See what happens."

Elena clenched her fists but stopped. "You leave her _alone!_" She shouted hysterically.

"No." Was Reno's simple reply.

Taking both the woman's shoulders he clicked his tongue. "Tsk, tsk, Elena. You _are_ an ungrateful one. I give you a magnificent gift and you shoot me in the head? Just because I nipped you in the neck?"

"Nipped me in the neck!? You tried to rip out my jugular!"

"It wasn't like it was going to be gone forever." He deadpanned.

"You turned me into one didn't you? That's why my neck is nearly healed! That's why I can sense when night comes! That's why I'm afraid of the sunlight!"

"You just figured it out?"

"No. I knew almost as soon as I came here that you turned me into…into…"

"Go on. Say it. You're a vampire now. So am I."

"_Fuck_ you!" Elena seethed.

Reno scowled. "You should watch your tongue. I've got your friend here and when I get mad I tend to break things…"

Elena trembled, her anger sloughing off in an instant, leaving her bare with sudden fear and anxiety. "Reno please…" she clasped her hands imploringly. "_Please_ let her go…"

He sneered. "You're so attached to her? Someone you barely even know? You _do_ know who she really is right?"

"Not by name, I'll admit, but yes I do."

"And you care for her that much? A woman whom you can't even recall the name to?"

"I'd care for anyone that much, Reno."

Reno snorted, his eyes hardening. "Then you're a fool."

It happened before she could even blink. The woman was lying dead on the floor, her neck snapped and her head twisted so grotesquely far that the skin stretched and threatened to break. Blood oozed from the woman's mouth and whatever life had been remaining in her eyes a moment ago was now completely gone.

A scream tore from Elena's lips as she beheld the woman at her feet. She fell to the floor on her knees, her hands outstretched toward the woman's corpse.

The woman. The poor, poor woman…

Reno sighed. "First lesson," he said as he went for the door, "Never grow attached to your food." He stopped. "Oh…yes. And I've just heard from my boss that a group of troublemakers will be arriving in the docks come morning. The group is made up of werewolves and these things called 'cat demons'. One of the Avalanche members is with them too, so if you see them, run. You're only a fledgling vampire now, you can't engage in any fights and hope to win them, at least not against anything that isn't human."

And just like that, he was gone, the door shutting sharply behind him.

Elena sat staring, her lip trembling and tears spilling silently from her eyes. Her mouth was horribly dry and her eyes were dull as well. The sight of the corpse filled her with dread, disgust, and painful agony. But she continued to stare. She continued to stare until she began to feel night slip away from her. That's when she snapped out of her morose trance long enough to realize that she needed to retreat to someplace dark, as far as instinct told her.

But she didn't want to leave the woman's corpse alone. She was struck with a need to keep it near her. Somewhere, in the now smaller but luckily still existent innocent portion of her mind, she moaned at the thought of leaving the woman alone. Of abandoning her somehow, despite her lack of life.

But this was not the only need she felt driven by as she dragged the corpse back to her room. Leaving it in the middle of the floor, Elena sat in the corner, eyes red and puffy from tears and wide with an eerie attention.

The woman. The poor woman. Her lips were blue. Her eyes were like glass. For the moment Elena had witnessed it, she had died a woman without a name.

Elena felt like crying. Alternatively she felt like throwing up.

She also felt hungry.

She considered, after a long moment of even more staring, of crawling back into the woman's kitchen and digging up something edible. But her mind rejected the idea of solid food, _normal_ food. Plus, she knew the sun was coming. She didn't want to deal with the sun.

The corpse in front of her once again mesmerized Elena. Her pale lips were parted slightly, slow hoarse breaths rattling in and out of her lungs.

She felt weak. Terribly weak. Dull in mind, Elena stood to her feet, swaying. Licking her lips, she trudged slowly over and stared down at the woman's corpse.

She was…so…

…_Thirsty._

* * *

A/N: A fair sized update that's only partially done. The next chapter is complete, however, I need to type it into the computer. And the chapter after that is half finished. I just wanted to post something to let you people know I haven't forgotten this story and still plan on carrying it out. I've taken your reviews to heart, and in the coming chapters I hope to fulfill some of your wishes. I realize these chapters weren't exactly what you ordered in terms of speeding things up or better explaining just what and who the angels are or showing more of the antagonists and their current plans/motives. But as I said, these updates are primarily to show you I'm still alive. I feel bad for the long break I took, but I've been kept busy with the school play I'm starring in (which opened yesterday) and projects and of course homework and family life. Now I have midterms to look forward to after all this theatre stuff is over with. I'd like to apologize for any mistakes and/or inconsistencies in these new chapters, as A) it is now almost two in the morning and my ability to edit is just about nonexistent, and B) There was a long absence of writing after chapter 16, so some things may be off as the details from before may have slipped from my memory. Again I apologize, and I hope you accept this god-awful attempt to produce something enjoyable.

My god I'm exhausted...well I have my birthday to look forward to at least. December 7th. Sweet sixteen here I come...

_**Next chapter:** Sparks in the Dark_


	20. Sparks in the Dark

Black and gnarled tunnels twisting and turning clouded with thick mists, _poisonous_ mists. She gagged in the face of them, but endured it and charged on, further into the depths of this dark and elaborate mind. She knew this would be a challenge. A test of all her power and will.

She had to conquer this.

But she was growing tired. She could feel her energy draining from her limbs. In a moment she would be thrust back into the physical world, but she held on as stubbornly as she could, gritting her teeth.

"No, I won't fail!"

But rounding the bend of a particularly steep and sharp turn, she was met with the glowing set of malicious red eyes. She had but a moment to register the furry outline of some large and monstrous beast before it reared its horned head and set a blast of flames straight into her stomach.

Feeling the wind knocked out of her, she flew backwards, but not into the jagged rocky walls surrounding, but _through_ them, straight back through the blank void of consciousness between minds, headlong back into her own.

At the force of her conscious self's return, Elmiryn's head jerked back violently, making her fall back on the ground where she lay dazed for a moment. Immediately a group of common demons surrounded her, murmuring in surprise.

Elmiryn's eyes fluttered back into focus. Blinking, she stared at all those looking down at her. Slowly her face began to twist and her hair to flicker with orange light. The demons crying out, turned to run, but they were all sent flying as a huge ball of flame caught them in the backs.

With this, Elmiryn sat up, her long soft curls no longer tame and beautiful, but frightening and awe-inspiring.

Her hair had quite literally turned to flames.

Slamming her fists into the ground, she screamed, "That insufferable _beast!_ Doesn't he know fire can do no harm to me!?"

Letting out an enraged growl, Elmiryn stood to her feet, dusting the dirt from her dress.

The strands of flames that were her hair slowly turned back to normal, and with one big calming breath, the flames went out completely.

Glaring down at Vincent's body with what could only be described as a wounded pride, Elmiryn thought silently with a sullen expression.

Vincent was shackled down to a stone table, the wounds on his chest glaring red. His body was shining with sheen of sweat. Elmiryn thought saucily, "He's a fascinating specimen of a man, if you can consider him one. Too bad. This whole affair will probably kill him."

She frowned as she saw a drop of blood run from his nose.

Perhaps she should be more careful…Surely, Belial would understand if she took a rest. At this rate she would only over-exert herself and kill Valentine as well. When she had first entered his mind, he had screamed, as she knew he would. Now he was lying unconscious before her, pale and sweating. It was a tricky business, searching people's minds. But this wasn't the same as any normal mind search. She wasn't trying to find a memory. Nor a thought.

She was trying to find a god.

But this body, this loathsome host was not only harboring this exalted creature, but a number of rather lowly monsters as well.

A madman, a beast, a murderer…

Obstacles in her path. Minotaurs in a maze. Well, she wouldn't lose to them. She would find a way past them, she would.

Sighing, she turned to leave the torch-lit room, but stopped.

Touching her hand to her nose, she blinked slightly in surprise as she withdrew the hand and saw a small drop of blood there.

Smiling ironically, Elmiryn whipped out a handkerchief from the front of her dress, dabbing her nose delicately.

Stepping easily over the groaning bodies of the demons on the floor, she entered the dark hallowed hall, reaching out a hand in front of her. It ignited into flames and like a torch it lighted her path as she continued onward to her room. Being a fire witch, Elmiryn find it easy to navigate through dark places such as this tunnel like passage. Fire witches were magical beings who, unlike witches and wizards, were born with their magic. They were resistant to all magical spells and could control and cast fire based spells naturally. It made it convenient here, because Elmiryn could use her own hand as a light source and not bother with finding a candle and match. The only real thing that bothered her with working underground (because they _were_ underground) was all the dust and the lack of good exits.

At the wooden door, she opened it with her normal hand and was greeted by a surly looking Ultera sitting in the middle of the dirt floor.

"Mistress, if I may speak boldly, I find these babysitting sessions rather tiresome. Surely there is something more productive I can do?" the devil growled.

Elmiryn's eyes flashed as she crossed the threshold, her flaming hand extinguishing. "Herutsu is not important? Who should watch her while I am elsewhere? She is an extension of myself and is only safe when I am able to protect her. You know very well that when I dive into any mind my _whole_ self is gone, leaving Herutsu's body vulnerable."

"Then let me protect _you_ and the others to watch Herutsu!"

"No!" Elmiryn shouted, her hair flickering ominously. "I have an entire round of attendants to watch over me, yet none to watch Herutsu. She is more important to me than my very self! You _will_ watch her. I have given my word and I am _not_ to be cozened!"

Ultera made an ugly face, but only bowed her head and grumbled, "Yes mistress…"

Elmiryn, ignoring Ultera's attitude, glided to the corner diagonal the devil where Herutsu sat quietly in a wooden chair, her hands folded neatly in her lap.

Kneeling next to the girl Elmiryn stroked her hair. "Herutsu, do you remember where I left the cell phone?"

The girl only stared as though processing the question. Then she slowly lifted her arm and pointed at the cupboard on the far wall.

Elmiryn smiled. "Thank you. You just stay here a while. Ultera will watch you."

Ultera made a face behind the woman's back, but quickly wiped it clean when the woman turned and crossed the room.

Scooping up the sleek looking cell phone, Elmiryn muttered, "These things are such grievances. It's a wonder how these humans manage with them."

She was planning on calling Kelson, but due to the fact that their impromptu headquarters was underground, she had no reception down here. "But," she thought sullenly as she left the room and moved down the hall to the ladder leading back to the surface, "Even up here I have to move to a certain spot to be able to make a call."

This damned junk pile of a city would never cease to get on her nerves. Infested with monsters and meddlesome criminals, however, it was a perfect place to function from, as it's being a rather unfavorable place deterred many potential hassles.

Midgar, as bothersome as it was, had its advantages.

Crunching through the weeds and gravel, Elmiryn stopped directly beneath an opening above in the plate. Here, she flipped open her cell and pushed speed dial.

Grumbling about how much she wished to do magic instead, the woman held the phone to her ear.

It had been decided, when they arrived on this planet, that neither traveling magic nor communicative spells were to be used lest they be discovered on the angels magic radar. The meddlesome creatures kept track of certain spells and portal uses on different planes of existence. But through the use of these primitive and indigenous devices, they had managed to remain hidden.

The phone rang for only a second when someone immediately picked up.

"Elmiryn."

She pursed her lips. "Kelson."

"I was just about to call you." He sounded flustered even from this end of the line.

"I know. Was there something you wanted to tell me?"

"You first. You called _me_ after all."

Elmiryn rolled her eyes at his antics. The smarmy demon was dodging. "I just wanted to let you know we found Valentine."

"Oh is that so?"

"Yes. I've already started working on him. I was taking a break and I just thought I'd tell you. Have you found the snow woman?"

"No…I'm afraid we haven't."

"Where in hell's name is Terrick? He should have found her ages ago."

"I'm afraid something has gone wrong." Kelson never was very eloquent.

"Terrick is dead, isn't he." Elmiryn deadpanned.

"I suppose you could say that." The cat demon muttered cryptically.

Elmiryn narrowed her eyes. "What are you saying? Quit being so vague!"

"…Elmiryn, I'm not sure how or why this happened, but at some point, for whatever reason, Terrick merged himself with a human. Now the half-breed is over on your turf with the pack of werewolves that's been causing us setbacks and…" his voice strained, "Xia is with them."

Elmiryn quirked an eyebrow, "Your little cat girl?"

"Yes."

"Kelson you're pathetic." Elmiryn sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "We warned you against working with Terrick, but you were a brat and you had to have your own way. You couldn't take care of a couple of mangy wolves and now _I_ have to deal with them. To be honest I'm not overly concerned, but with Xia and that half-breed cat demon running around with them, this'll serve as one terrible annoyance. You really did pick an inconvenient time to screw up." She could practically _hear_ him blushing on the other end.

"One…of my specter's saw a member of Avalanche with them as well…" he mumbled halfheartedly.

Elmiryn grit her teeth. "_AND_ you allowed a member of Avalanche to slip your sight!?" No answer. Elmiryn sighed heavily. "Okay, Kelson…I'll clean up your mess. But I'm actually doing something _productive_ with my time, so I'll send one of my subordinates to take care of this. Did they leave tonight?"

"Yes…they boarded a ship and they should be arriving at Kalm in the morning."

"I'll deal with them eventually. You had better hope Belial doesn't get _too_ annoyed with you, because he _will_ find out about this sooner or later."

Without bothering to say goodbye, she hung up. "Kelson your still just one big kitten, it's a wonder why we allowed you to have any control at all."

"He just needs a kick in the rear to get him going. Makes for a nice mule and scapegoat should anything go wrong."

Elmiryn didn't turn around. Addressing the new voice calmly she said, "Belial. What have you been up to that I haven't heard from you for so long?"

"Handling my share of the work. And you?"

"Working on Valentine. His mind is a maze."

"You'll succeed, you always do."

Elmiryn turned. In the darkness surrounding her, she could see a hulking black silhouette with a long face and gigantic horns on its head. It stood on legs like a satyrs, and large menacing wings were folded against its back. Refusing to step into the light with her, the creature stayed in its place, as did Elmiryn.

Belial always did prefer the dark.

Undeterred by his frightening presence, the fire witch crossed her arms. "Why DID you give Kelson the northern continent?"

They had split the world into separate territories, where as Elmiryn controlled the eastern continent. Belial the western. And Kelson and Terrick the northern. It helped keep them organized and made running things and completing tasks easier.

"Originally it was just supposed to be him _and_ Terrick but as I hear it, that is no longer the case." Belial said easily.

"So you heard?"

"Of course. Just the same, I didn't like him very much."

"But now the task of finding the snow woman is left to _Kelson_ as is control of that _entire_ continent!"

"It's an area of no importance compared to the things we have to do in our own respective areas. After he finds the snow woman, the northern continent will be of no use to us until your task with Mr. Valentine is done."

"Well if you've no concern of Kelson and the little pests he's practically sent my way, then what was it you wished to discuss?"

"I came to warn. I'm afraid the angels have finally caught up to us."

Elmiryn's eyebrows rose high at this. "The angels have finally come?"

"In a sense. They are only sending scouts and small hunting parties for now. It would seem they have other battles to fight at the moment. However, I am particularly upset at a certain pair of angels. Do you remember Lilith?"

Elmiryn's lip curled. "The succubus."

"My best. She had been complaining of boredom and not seeing any harm in it, I sent her to kill the former leader of Avalanche."

"Was that really wise?"

"Twas' to my own loss. Lilith was killed and Mr. Strife was able to get away. An elemental and an aviant were the ones to save him."

"Then why did you not take care of them?"

"I'm afraid I was taking care of other business and was not informed until later. And while the loss of Lilith _did_ upset me when I finally was told, I didn't concern myself with it too much. After all, would you worry yourself over just two angels so early on? Further more, two angels whose task most likely was only to gather information?"

"Of course not."

"Exactly. But it would seem these two's mission is something more and is beginning to interfere with mine. They're proving to be a potential danger, and if they persist, I'll have to kill them, despite the red flags I may set with their superiors."

"I fail to see your reason for telling me this."

"It's insightful information. And indirect advice towards you. If this ragtag group you're expecting proves to be a problem worth dealing with, don't hesitate to extinguish the flame. Your very good at that sort of thing."

"I'll be sure to keep that in mind."

"Do that. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've someone I need to meet."

Elmiryn nodded and watched with mild interest as Belial wrapped himself in his wings and altogether he melted into the shadows, disappearing from sight. Sighing the witch, turned where she stood.

Around her, large shadowy masses of wrecked buildings and chunks of concrete surrounded her. But as she turned to leave, the sight of someone approaching made her stop.

Eyes narrowing, she placed her hands on her hips. "Reno, you've been gone quite a while."

The fierce looking vampire, his long red hair shadowing his face, chuckled darkly. "I was just convincing another to join us." His white shirt was splattered some with blood, and Elmiryn noticed the tell tale scars of wounds healing.

"You ran into trouble with this person?" She said, smiling slightly in surprise.

He shrugged carelessly, "She was a bit difficult, but then again she's always been difficult."

"Ah, so you've known this person?"

"Worked with her for about a year when Shinra was still around."

"I see…well then, you had better keep an eye on her. Remember, while I give you permission to turn a certain number of people, I don't want this to get out of hand. She'll be your responsibility. Until she gains her footing I suggest you turn no one else. There is a particular danger on its way to Kalm at the moment, so you may want to warn that girl to stay of harm's way."

Reno frowned. "A danger? What danger?"

"A small pack of werewolves, a cat demon and a demon half breed, and a member of Avalanche."

"Avalanche…which member is with them?"

Elmiryn scowled in annoyance. That was right, Kelson didn't tell her. "I'm afraid I don't know. At any rate, I want you to keep an eye out for them, they should be arriving sometime this morning…and mind your little fledgling."

Reno nodded. "Don't worry." He turned to leave.

"By the way, Reno?"

He glanced at Elmiryn over his shoulder. "Yeah?"

"Have you fed the night mares?"

He smirked cockily and continued walking, "Yeah." And without another word, he left.

A thick silence descended around the fire witch then. Back erect and head up high, she eyed the ruins around her once again with disgust. The moonlight shafted down on her and looking up she could see the particles of dust drifting in the air. A queen among rubble, Elmiryn retreated back to her hole.

-----

Kelson stared at the phone in his hand. Then with a wild swing threw it at the wall. It shattered to various pieces, leaving a deep impression.

Heaving, he ran a hand through his hair and began to pace about his room.

It infuriated him whenever Elmiryn made him feel so…_useless_.

She was a stupid creature anyway. She wasn't even a demon! A fire witch. A _fire witch_. That's what she was. A power hungry wreck addicted to her magic. They had found her in another world, nearly dead on the ground, the front of her dress ripped and her eyes glazed. Next to her, naked, was a small girl nearly identical to her.

The demons that had found her realized she was the same notorious fire witch they had heard spoken of, the one said to have gone berserk with her power and whom spread a reign of chaos throughout several different worlds. When they saw that she had somehow regained control and sanity of herself, they took her in along with her small companion, and in return, she did what they asked of her. She was the only non-demon to be in such a position of control, however it became clear she probably would never again rise to the height of power she had before. But Kelson was sure the only reason she put up with them was because of some personal vendetta of hers.

Kelson resented her superior attitude and was disgusted with her obsessive and borderline incentive relationship with the small girl she called "Herutsu" who, no matter what, never seemed to age. Furthermore, he thought it suspicious that she openly _volunteered_ to come to this planet. Anything Elmiryn did, it was because they told her to. Whatever she had been waiting for…whatever she had been _searching_ for, he was sure it was here.

Meanwhile, what would Kelson do? Perhaps he would try and uncover Elmiryn's true plans. But he wasn't sure how to go about it without notice. And it was also clear that Terrick's duty in finding the snow woman would fall on him.

The snow woman had been a tale told to those who traveled through the icy region of the northern continent. It was said she was one of the ten children bore by the infamous and terrible Yuki-Onna, the Lady of the Snow, a famous demon and a serial killer in Terrick's world. The snow woman was said to have an irresistible beauty, with pale-blue skin and icy breath. She was anti-social and hated hot springs. In her possession was a gift from her human father, the precious materia of Alexander. It was a mystery how the man came to possess such an item, but he did indeed give it to the daughter, to the snow woman, and it was now Kelson's job to get it.

But it wouldn't be easy, scouring the snowy plains of the northern continent for the woman. So how was he to go about his own plans if he was going to be busy with this?

Pulling up the blinds he gazed down at the mass of necromancers who, by now, had created a small army of specters.

Lips curling back into a twisted smile he murmured, "Let's see what shadows creep along your walls Elmiryn. Let's see what secrets you keep hidden in the dark. Sure enough I'll know…" He moved to his coat rack and plucked up his heaviest cloak. Slipping on a pair of thick gloves his eyes gleamed. "Sure enough, Elmiryn, I'll find out."

Dressing in a multitude of layers of clothes, Kelson left the room, his eyes glowing with sinister energy.

--------------------

A/N: And there's the chapter. What do you guys think? Was it at the very least, satisfactory? Some more stuff will be revealed later. Right now, I'm still only halfway done with the next chapter, but projects and midterms may make this chapter just that much harder to finish. I'll get it up eventually, though.

Some actual myths have been played into this chapter. Lilith is the most important Jewish femme fatale of the succubus species and the only spirit of her kind referred to in the Bible. Then there's Yuki-Onna, a Japanese demon who sucks the life breath gently but inexorably from her victims mouths. I'll most definitely be trying to use more myths in the future, but I won't point them out. Kudos to anyone who can recognize them.

Oh...and I hate this stupid new editor has put in...

_**Next Chapter:** The Split In Paths_


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